Dad's Plan
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: The disappearance of Lucifer, Maeve, Dexter, and others has everyone on the hunt for them. Angelica tries to ask her Grandpa for help, but he's suddenly disappeared as well, leaving nothing but a note for her that says "Trust Me." When she sees that and takes it back home, she and everyone else wonders just what He has to do with it all.
1. Are The Kids All Right?

**Disclaimer: only the plot and any original characters belong to me!**

Still not quite able to believe that his mother was completely gone and maintaining that she was just on some trip, Adrian returned to the penthouse several more times in search of her and Dorian. Toni was at his side, and each time, they found the place in the same condition it had been the time before. And just as empty too.

Finally, he sat down at the kitchen table and tried to call Dexter to ask if any of Lucifer's enemies would have it out for one of his most notorious chaos creators or her husband. But to his surprise, he couldn't get hold of Dexter either, no matter how many times he called his phone. The phone just kept ringing on the other end without an answer, which was very out of character for Dexter. The man _never_ ignored a ringing phone!

"Now do you believe me that something weird is going on?" Toni asked after he hung up. "I told you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did, and I'm sorry I didn't believe you," Adrian told her. "But now that we're sure of that, what do we do? Where do we start looking?" Then it hit him. He would call his sister. Maybe Roxie had given their mother a room at the Underground.

He punched in the number, put the phone to his ear, and hoped he would like what he heard.

"You've reached the Underground, this is Roxie. How can I help you?"

"Hey, Champ," Adrian greeted his sister. "It's me. I'm going to ask you a question and I want an honest answer, all right? Are Mom and Dorian at the Underground? Did they party real hard last night and have to take one of the upstairs rooms cause they were too out of it to drive home?"

"Not that I know of," Roxie replied, making his heart sink. "Are you having trouble getting a hold of them? Why don't you try the penthouse?"

"I'm _at_ the penthouse!" Adrian told her through his teeth. "They aren't here and there's no note indicating where they might have gone, and you know that Mom usually leaves notes, so I don't know what to do!"

"Well, I'll have Vince ask around, okay?" Roxie offered. "And Sammy too. Maybe someone's seen her and Dorian and can tell you what I can't."

"Thanks, kid," Adrian told her. "I owe you one."

"Yeah, you do, but I'll give it a pass this time," Roxie said. "Good luck!"

"You too!" Adrian replied. He was about to hang up when Roxie spoke again, sounding very confused.

"You know, it's funny you should call about Mom and Dorian disappearing just now because...because I got a phone call from Christopher not long before you called. He and Hannah were at a barbecue at Dad's, and Chris was all panicky because the meat was burning and they were looking for Dad and Sybil to come deal with it, but it seemed like _they_ disappeared too! I wonder if their disappearance is connected to Mom and Dorian's or if it's just some weird coincidence?"

"Well, to be honest, at first I thought it was just Mom being flighty like usual, but now that you say Dad and Sybil have disappeared without so much as a 'Goodbye' too, I don't think the answer is as simple as we'd like. It could be a coincidence. It could be part of a plot, who knows? But I don't want to come across as a wacky conspiracy theorist until we have more answers. How about you keep looking for Dad and I'll see what I can do about Mom. All right?"

"Sounds good," Roxie told him. "Good luck again!"

"You too," Adrian told her as frustration rose up in his chest. "You too."

He ended the call and Toni came to put her arms around him. "From the look on your face, it seems your sister wasn't able to help much. Or at all."

"No," Adrian sighed. "And not only that, she says Dad and Sybil mysteriously disappeared without so much as a word too."

"Well, that's...weird," Toni remarked. "What should we do now? Where should we look next?"

"I don't know," Adrian said. "Let me think."

* * *

Since Roxie didn't give him the news that he wanted, and he couldn't get hold of Dexter, he tried to get hold of the next person on his mental list of people who could know whether or not Lucifer had enemies that might have had it in for his mother: Maeve.

But when he called her house, she was gone too.

"Sorry," Junior told him. "She went to Lucifer's house to see Noah. But I'm sure...I'm sure she'll be back soon. What do you need her for? Maybe I can help."

"Oh, thanks, but...I don't know," Adrian told him. "Mom and Dorian have been gone for a few days. I thought it was just one of her impulsive jaunts but now I think it's something more serious...like maybe an enemy of Lucifer's got a hold of her or something. It's not incredible. She stepped on a lot of toes during her Lonely Heart days."

"Off the top of my head, I don't know what to tell you," Junior said. "Why don't I meet you at Lucifer's and maybe we can come up with a solution."

"Thanks," Adrian told him. "Me and Toni will meet you there. That's not gonna interfere with your work, is it?"

"Oh, no," Junior assured him. "I'm off today."

* * *

Junior dropped the girls off at his parents' house (much to Mary's delight, because she loved Lexie and Emma to pieces,) and then headed to Lucifer's to meet Adrian and Toni, and to his surprise, found a house in chaos.

"Something tells me that not everyone is looking for your mother and Dorian," Junior surmised when he saw Adrian. "Who else is missing?"

"Well," Adrian fidgeted uncomfortably. "Lucifer's gone, along with Dexter. Both your daughter and your granddaughter have locked themselves in their rooms. And..." He avoided Junior's gaze as he continued to speak. "And Maeve...she's gone too."

"What?" Junior asked, his eyes widening. "Are you serious? She can't just be gone! How will my daughters get through things without their mother?"

"Well, where are they now?" Toni asked.

"With my parents," Junior told her. "But I can't just keep them there forever!"

"I'm sure they'd understand, given the circumstances," Toni told him. "Now, your other daughter is a wreck, and I think your granddaughter Valerie is too. Wanna go see if you can do something about it?"

"Yeah," Junior nodded, still feeling shaken. "Sure, all right."

He made his way to Ellie and Lucifer's bedroom and knocked on the closed door. The sobbing from the other side broke his heart. "Ellie Bean?" He called. "You want a hug?"

It went quiet. Junior waited. Then both Ellie and Valerie opened the door and threw their arms around him.

"It'll be okay," he said as all three made their way to the bed and sat down on it. "We'll figure out where they've gone. They couldn't have gone far."

"But what if they did?" Ellie sniffled. "I mean...I've...I've said some things I shouldn't have and acted in ways that _could_ be construed as bratty, so who's to say Lucifer didn't just up and leave because of that and take Dexter and Maeve with him?"

"Why would they just agree to go when Maeve has the girls and Dexter likes Valerie?" Junior questioned. "And I'm sure Lucifer will come back to you. It has to be more than just a simple case of 'He got angry and up and left'."

"Well, I should hope so!" Valerie remarked, no longer crying. "Dexter's getting much better about standing up for himself and I hope he would stand up for us and not just leave me alone!"

"Oh, he wouldn't do that," Ellie reassured her. "Being with you is probably the first thing that's given him any sort of break in years! I don't think he'd purposefully leave that just to be at your dad's beck and call forever!"

"So you agree that wherever it is that they went, they didn't go there on purpose?" Junior asked. "That's something. That's a start."

"Yeah," Ellie took a deep breath and leaned against him. "It would be even _more_ helpful if we knew just where they were and why, though. It would be so much better for my nerves!"

"You know who should be here helping us look?" Valerie asked. "Angelica! I haven't seen her and Sammy at all today! I wonder if they've even left their room since last night! Want me to go wake them up?"

"I'll do it," Ellie told her. "Angelica should be back from talking to the realtor about the new building for her business. That's why you haven't seen her. You just...do something else. It'll be good to have Angelica out here. She plans things and makes them work. She could organize people. That's a good idea for sure." She headed to Angelica and Sammy's room as Junior, though he didn't really want to, called his biological father John's wife to see if the two of them were okay. But no answer. And he tried more than once. That was good to know. And he couldn't say he wasn't relieved and that in his heart of hearts, he hoped John, who'd caused so much trouble, would never come back.

* * *

"Oh, do you know how much I love it just being the two of us?" Angelica questioned as she strode through the door of her and Sammy's bedroom at Luci and Ellie's after returning from her meeting with the realtor. He was helping her find office space to start up her own business that would enable her to manage all her projects from a home base and hire staff so that she didn't have to do so much work on her own.

"Oh, I think I do," Sammy replied and took her in his arms, kissing her soundly as they began to undress each other. "I think I know exactly why."

Angelica paused for a moment and then grinned, tearing her gaze away from his mouth for a moment to say, "But just know that I _do_ love you for your mind too!"

"Oh, of course," Sammy nodded. "I feel the same...just not at the moment." They then resumed kissing furiously as they left their clothes in a scattered pile by the door and, in their underwear, made their way to the bed, running their hands over each other's bodies.

But just as he had buried himself inside her, there was a loud knock on the door.

"No!" Angelica groaned. "Why does someone have to bother us _now!_ I'm not answering it!"

But the knocking persisted until finally, Sammy called out, "Who is it?"

"It's Ellie!" Ellie called back. "Is Angelica back yet? I need her to organize people out here!"

"It's your mom," he told Angelica. "I think you should let her in." He backed out of her and crawled beside her on the mattress as Angelica sighed, got up, and got dressed before opening the door.

"What's up, Mom?" She asked, trying not to sound irritated. "Is everything okay? Found Dad yet?"

"Actually, it's not," Ellie told her. "Your father, Maeve, and Dexter are still missing, and now we can add your Aunt Selina and Dorian, and Klaus and Sybil to the list, and it seems like there are more."

"How strange," Angelica replied. "You mean, just _gone_? Can't find them anywhere, no matter how much you look?"

"Exactly," Ellie sighed. "But we're not very organized, so I thought that if you'd be willing, you could help with it. That and i wanted you to know what was going on."

"Well, thanks for that!" Angelica told her. "We'll definitely come help look. It won't take us long to get organized here, okay? Bye!"

"What's going on?" Sammy asked her as she strode back to the bed. "Sounds like more people are missing."

"Lots more people, apparently," Angelica told him, rattling off names, even though he'd heard the whole conversation. "Daddy, Maeve, Dexter, Aunt Selina, Dorian, Klaus and Sybil...and no one has any idea where they went. Mom's freaking out of course so I told her I would come organize search efforts. You wanna come and help?"

"Well, of course," Sammy nodded and hopped out of bed to get dressed. "Let's do it!"

* * *

With Ellie in such an overwrought state, Lisa thought it would be best for her to take charge of Noah until further notice, something that his mother did not object to.

"Thanks," Ellie sniffled. "I really appreciate that, Lisa."

"No problem," Lisa replied. "You just...you just take care of yourself, okay?" She then left Ellie alone and went in search of Lee, who was taking great pleasure in ordering people about under the guise of making a more organized search. "Why don't you help with Noah instead?" She suggested, using her magic to make him slide up right next to her and away from the people he was "helping" (who actually knew perfectly well what to do without him.)

"What?" He huffed. "I was helping!"

"I have a better way," Lisa suggested. "You can help me with the baby."

"But I don't want to!" Lee said. "Why should I help you?"

"Well, fine, I'll phrase it a bit differently then," Lisa said. "Lucifer did you a big favor by giving you a home here. Now he needs your help, and this is how you could do it. So will you?"

"Oh, fine," Lee huffed. "But you're doing all the things that involve bodily functions. It's what women do!"

"From what I've heard about your mother, I don't think she'd like hearing you talk that way," Lisa told him.

"That's why I'm saying it now," Lee grinned. "Cause she's not here to stop me!"

"You really are screwed up, aren't you?" Lisa asked him.

"I prefer to think of myself as charming," Lee told her. "Now, are we just going to stand here, or are we actually gonna do something? Surely you don't just have to hold the child every second."

"You're right, I don't," Lisa said. "Let's go to his room and play with him!"

"What sort of games can we play with someone so small?" Lee grumbled. "Surely nothing very exciting at all."

"If you're just gonna complain about everything, then you don't have to come if you don't want to," Lisa told him.

But then his eye caught a glimpse of her nicely curved bottom and he changed his mind. "No, never mind," he told her. "I'll come with you."

"What changed your mind?" Lisa asked dryly.

They made their way to Noah's room and as Lee looked at every door, he made notes of which ones had empty rooms behind them. Lisa may be irritating and way too obsessed with children, but she was very attractive and he would be a fool if he didn't do something about that.

They stayed in the room and Lisa played with Noah. She was pleased to be able to be removed from all the panic, at least until Adrian came to tell her that Elijah and Amy had disappeared as well.

"Well, that's not good," she remarked, worry pooling in her stomach, which made her hold Noah close. "And what about Aunt Margot and Uncle Kol? Them too?"

"Yep," Adrian sighed. "Them too."

"I just don't understand how so many people could all disappear at the same time. I don't understand it at all!" Lisa said in frustration as Toni put a hand on her shoulder and even held Noah for a bit.

"Me either, kid," Adrian sighed and shook his head. "Me either."

* * *

Sammy and Angelica arrived in the main living room about the same time as her aunt Hannah and Christopher.

"Your mom didn't sound good on the phone," Hannah told her niece. "Did she sound upset when she talked to you too? Now she's saying not only are your dad, Dexter, and Maeve gone, but she got a call from Helene and Malachai is missing too. I don't know why she's upset about him, though. I didn't even think they got along! I mean, her grandparents, yes. And your dad, and everyone else she's close to that's gone. But Malachai, not so much. And there are a ton of other people gone whose names I didn't hear."

"Oh, yeah," Angelica nodded. "I mean, she was trying to control it, but I could hear it anyway. To lose so many people at once with no explanation why...I'm surprised she's holding it together aswell as she is." She then looked at Christopher. "Sorry about your parents. We'll find them."

"Yeah, we will," Christopher nodded. "And even if it takes a while, I think Mom and Dad will manage. They're pretty good at handling stuff like this. Dad's been around. Not as long as _your_ Dad, but he's no spring chicken!"

"You're so positive!" Hannah smiled and squeezed Christopher's hand. "I love that about you!" She paused. "Now I'm gonna go check on my sister. Tell her that I'm here and see what she needs me to do."

"All right," Christopher nodded. "You do that. I will go see if Vincent is doing anything to help or if he's just being broody and staying away from everyone."

"Good idea!" Hannah agreed.

"And good luck!" Angelica added. Vincent didn't like talking to people much these days. In fact, Christopher was practically the only person he _did_ talk to.

* * *

So Christopher was very pleased when he reached Vincent's door and saw him actually standing in the hallway outside it. "What's the big fuss?" He asked. "I keep hearing all this noise and shouting."

"A bunch of people have disappeared, including my parents and your dad," Christopher said. "We're trying to look for them. I think it would be good if you helped."

"Yeah, sure, okay," Vincent nodded. "It might be nice to have something to do. How would I do that?"

"I don't know," Christopher shrugged. "But I'm sure we could find something for you to do."

"Do you think Lauren's disappeared?" Vincent asked. "Maybe I should go to her apartment and check on her and Nick."

"The sentiment is good," Christopher remarked. "But I don't think you should actually _do_ it. I'll ask Toni for you. I bet she could find out."

"Yeah, would you?" Vincent nodded. "Thanks a lot!"

* * *

Though most of the disappearances were met with dismay and a desperate urge to get back the missing, some were seen as a blessing in disguise. The disappearance of Kai, for instance, made the kitchen refrigerators a lot more accessible than they once had been and once that was apparent, people rushed in and took all they could, cause they knew it was a rare opportunity.

Once her aunt Hannah was with her mother, Angelica decided it was time to bring some order to the chaos. She did a spell to give herself a voice that was hard to ignore, then stood on a chair and shouted.

"All right, everyone!" she cried. "I know so far we haven't found Dad or Maeve or anyone, but now I think we need to split up and look other places! Sammy will split you into three groups: one will stay here, another will go to the Underground, and the third will search Dad's office. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded and then Sammy split up the groups accordingly and sent them off to their assigned places while the group that stayed at the house did another run through.

"Do you really think this is gonna work?" Angelica asked.

"I don't know," Sammy told her. "But at least it's something." He paused. "What do you want me to do? What will _you_ do?"

"I know exactly what I will do!" Angelica told him. "I have a feeling in my gut, a sneaking suspicion of someone who might know what's going on. But I don't want to get Him involved until we're absolutely out of options."

"Are you telling me you think capital 'g' Grandpa had something to do with this?" Sammy asked.

"I don't know," Angelica shrugged. "But it's possible, isn't it?"

"Anything's possible, I guess," Sammy shrugged. "Why don't you go pursue that idea now? I'll manage things here."

"All right," Angelica nodded and kissed him. "Thanks for being so helpful. I mean, I know you lost people too, so of course you want to help, but...thanks."

"You're welcome," Sammy told her. "And be safe!"

She nodded and grabbed her purse, and as she headed to her car, muttered under her breath, "Grandpa, I really hope you didn't have anything to do with this!"

* * *

But when she reached the hospital, her suspicions only increased. When she asked to talk to Dr. Smith, she was told he wasn't around anymore.

"He suddenly quit," the nurse said with a shrug. "We don't know why or where he went, which is a real shame because he really _was_ a magnificent doctor."

"Okay, thanks," Angelica told her and turned on her heel.

"Wait just a minute," the nurse told her. "He left something for you."

Angelica turned around and took the small envelope the nurse handed to her, going to sit on the couch a few feet away before she opened it and pulled out a letter. It had just two words on it, neither of which were particularly enlightening or comforting. All the letter said, was: **Trust me.**

* * *

While everyone else panicked about never seeing the ones they loved that had disappeared again, Gwen Hamilton did not (although vowed to summon appropriate distress if any of Mikael or Jeffrey's children asked where they'd run off to.)

Yep, Mikael was gone. And Jeffrey too. And although she was a little put out by Jeffrey's disappearance cause it meant she'd have to sleep alone until he came back from wherever it was he'd gone without so much as a word of explanation, she couldn't deny that she liked the silence of the house. No men fighting with each other or whining because one got more attention than the other. It was really quite exhausting having multiple men want her attention at once. She was coming very close to swearing them off all together. It would have to be a damn special man to grab her attention and hold it now. She was too powerful and awesome a witch to settle for just _anyone_ anymore.

She grinned to herself as she walked through her empty, silent house, pausing to look at herself in the hall mirror. Although she was not what you'd call young, she was still quite attractive, her hair maintaining its natural blonde color, and her eyes a lively blue. She favored tailored dresses and suits in neutral colors, although sometimes she didn't mind wearing red every once in a while. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, moving a flyaway strand of blonde hair out of her eyes before deciding to go onto the deck and get some sun. It was one of her favorite activities and she'd enjoyed being able to do it for the past several days. She couldn't believe her luck. Someone must really like her.


	2. Separation Anxiety

"Why are we suddenly in the office?" Maeve grumbled as she and Dexter looked around and Lucifer lounged on the red velvet sofa. "I know for a fact that I was just in Noah's nursery holding on to him a few seconds ago." She got up, left, looked for someone to ask what had happened, and came back, looking irritated. "And to top it off, there's no one here but us! We're gonna have to cook and do everything ourselves!"

"You know, I like that," Lucifer grinned. "Nice and quiet. It'll give me time away from all of Eleanor's whining. And I could use that!"

Maeve scoffed and Dexter said, "Yeah, I'm sure it's really irritating to hear all that when whining and being childish is usually your lot!"

"Oh, I think you just got _burned!_ " Maeve chuckled and clapped Dexter on the back. "Good for you, Dex! Didn't know you had it in you!"

"I think that's highly uncalled for!" Lucifer told them. "I don't know how we got here. Probably Eleanor brought us here as a further example of her bad behavior."

"Why would she take me away from my kids? She was totally behind that. She wouldn't ruin it for me!" Maeve frowned. "I'm calling Junior right now. See if he won't come and get me since there aren't any cars outside. And I hope he brings the girls with him too because I don't like not knowing where they are!"

"And I'm calling Valerie," Dexter sighed. As usual, in the face of calamity, he and Maeve were concerned and Lucifer was not. And they were even _more_ concerned when they discovered that the phone lines were dead.

Maeve called as Dexter dialed, but after only a few seconds, she growled in frustration and shook her head at him. "Don't bother. You won't be able to reach her. There's no connection.

That wiped the grin off Lucifer's face, especially when Dexter confirmed what Maeve was saying. "Yep, she's right," he said. "No connection."

"You _have_ to be making that up!" Lucifer exclaimed, sitting up on the sofa and snatching Maeve's phone away. "How can there be no connection?" He tried to call Angelica and see what was going on. No connection. Just...silence. "I don't...I don't understand!" He exclaimed. "Everything else seems normal, right? There are other people outside and everything? Let me check. He got up and looked out the door and windows. It was a sunny day and the sidewalks were full of people walking, kids were riding their bikes in the streets, and some of his neighbors were washing their cars in their driveways. "Well, we're not alone," he proclaimed. "Everything else seems normal. So...so there's probably nothing really wrong. Like I said before, I bet Eleanor put a spell on the house just to scare us. You know when she's mad, she can have something of a dark sense of humor but I know a few tricks that'll cheer her up and get her to apologize once we find her. No one worry."

But Dexter was not as certain as he was that whatever had happened would be easy to fix. Instead, a feeling of foreboding had settled on him. "I don't like this, boss," he said, sitting down heavily on the sofa and looking down at his feet. "I don't like this at all."

* * *

Lucifer's good mood was ruined later when he went to answer the doorbell, and, when the door opened, got a fist in his face that sent him sprawling backward so that he hit his head hard on the tile floor.

When he was aware again, Selina and Dorian were standing over him. "About time you woke up," Selina huffed. "I thought the Devil could take a punch, but obviously not!"

"Not when you just spring it on me like that!" He told her, getting to his feet and putting a hand to his cheek. "Bloody hell, that hurt! What did you have to go and do that for?"

"Why are we here?" Selina asked. "Where _is_ everyone? Where are my _children?_ I don't know what kind of game you're playing, Lucifer, but I hate it and I want it to end right now!"

"You and me both!" Lucifer told her. "I'm as clueless about what's going on as you are, but the hypothesis we're going with is that it's Eleanor playing tricks."

"Ellie? Why would Ellie do this?" Selina questioned.

"Yeah, don't blame her for your own bad deeds!" Dorian huffed. "For once in your life, would you take responsibility for your own actions?"

"I _told_ you!" Lucifer said, his eyes going red as he grabbed Dorian by the collar and raised him up to his toes. "None of this is my fault!"

Soon, Selina, Dexter, and Maeve were trying to stop an irate Lucifer from killing Dorian. And when the doorbell rang again, Lucifer found his chance to escape.

"I'll get it," he choked out. "Let me!"

"Let him," Selina urged. "He knows more about this than he's telling and if we kill him, we'll never find anything out."

"Fine," Dorian huffed and dropped him to the floor. "Go and answer the door, but you better hurry back after."

"Who says you can tell me what to do?" Lucifer questioned and smoothed the wrinkles out of his clothes. "I'll come back when I want to. And this act of aggression will not be forgotten, I assure you."

"Oh, I'm so frightened!" Dorian called after him as he walked away. "What can you do to me that's not already been done?"

"Don't ask that if you don't actually want an answer because I promise you, I _will_ think of something and with Eleanor in the bad mood she's in, I'm sure she will not hesitate to implement it if I ask her to."

* * *

If Lucifer thought that answering the door would get him some peace after the fight between him and Dorian, he was wrong. Opening the door opened up a whole new can of worms, just as it had before. Maybe he should stop letting people in, he mused. Cause on the other side of that door were even _more_ visitors, who strode in without so much as an invitation. And they, much like Dorian and Selina, were incredibly angry about the situation and looking for someone to take it out on.

They (Klaus and Sybil and Elijah and Amy in particular) were shouting about being separated from their children, and of course, expressing a desire to return. And if _that_ wasn't bad enough, Mikael and Jeffrey had retreated into a corner and were yelling at each other about Gwen. How she wasn't here now, but when they found her, she would finally have to choose cause they couldn't take living together anymore.

The yelling went on for quite some time until Maeve got up on a chair and let out a loud, shrill whistle. "All right, everyone, we're all gonna shut up now! This yelling is making my head hurt. I know you all want to go home to your loved ones. I don't even know where my children _are_ , which isn't good since they're babies. We just need to figure out what's happened, but we won't be able to do that if everyone just stands around and yells at each other. Let's all talk one at a time. What happened before you all got here?"

One at a time, they spoke of going to their children's homes and the kids weren't there. It seemed, even, that they had been replaced by strangers. And it had all happened quite suddenly. "Can you blame us for being worried?" Selina asked. "Don't you think you'd feel the same way if it happened to you?"

Maeve listened and said, "That is definitely distressing. I'm sure we can find an answer for you, though. I am just as eager to get to the bottom of this mess as you are, believe me."

Then. she jumped off the chair and strode up to Lucifer frowning and punching him in the nose. "You gonna talk about what happened now?" She asked after. "Or will I have to keep hitting you until you do?"

"You don't have to keep hitting me!" Lucifer cried. "The only answer I can give you is the one you won't like to hear! I _truly_ have no idea what's going on!"

Maeve punched him again, and this time, as he fell to his knees, he called for Dexter, who immediately saw what was going on and rushed to put a stop to it, pulling Maeve away and allowing Lucifer a chance to get up. "Why don't you go to the bathroom and clean up?" He suggested. "I'll talk to Maeve."

"Okay, good," Lucifer nodded, wincing as some blood dripped from his nose and stained the sleeves of his white shirt. "Damn it," he whispered as he walked away. "This is dry clean only!"

" _Don't_ talk to me!" Maeve whispered angrily and gave Dexter a push. "How can you side with him? I don't think I want to breathe the same air as you right now!"

"Come on, Maeve," Dexter tried to reason with her. "I know you're angry about this. You have every right to be and you are not the only one. But think! Do you honestly believe that he would leave Ellie, Noah, and the other children behind like this? If it was part of something he thought up, I don't think he would pretend to have no idea what's going on like he is."

"Don't you try and tell me to calm down!" Maeve said and grabbed him. "I don't know how I got here, my babies are _God_ knows where-"

"God!" Lucifer exclaimed as he came up behind them, clean as ever. "Dad has something to do with this, not Eleanor! Just the sort of sneaky, evil thing he would do, too. Probably because he hates me and all of you are being punished by association!"

"Well, that's just wonderful that you've figured that out," Mikael strode up to him. "Now that that's done, we can work on another problem: You have five seconds to tell me where you've hidden Gwendolyn, and if you don't tell Jeffrey, I'd really appreciate it."

"What makes you think I know where she is?" Lucifer asked. "Are you telling me she's not here?"

"Are you an idiot?" Mikael asked and gestured around the room. "Do you _see_ her anywhere around here? If it was obvious where she was, she would have come with us!"

"Gwen's really not here?" Klaus asked. He was grinning at Mikael's unhappiness while holding Sybil close to him. "I wonder why? Probably because she hates you and made a run for it, Mikael."

As Mikael glowered at him, Jeffrey jumped into the conversation. "You know, mockery aside, that's not a bad question to ask. Why is Gwen not here with the rest of us? Why did she get to stay in one place and we had to go to another?" They all looked expectantly at Lucifer, who growled, and looked to the ceiling as he paced back and forth.

"Come now, Dad!" He called. "People are blaming me for this mess, but it was _you_ , wasn't it? What's going on? What are you planning? Tell me! Damn it, _tell_ me! And show yourself when you do it! I know you can! Unless you're afraid to face me, you coward!"

Everyone was struck silent as they watched this. Amy moved closer to Selina and asked, "Who is Lucifer talking to?"

"God," Selina supplied. "His Father, you know?"

Amy's eyes widened. "You're joking, right? Lucifer's dad is _the_ capital 'g' God?"

"Um, yes," Selina nodded. "I'm dead serious! Who else would it be?"

"How do you know this?" Amy asked. "Did he tell you?"

"Yep," Selina nodded. "He's told me a lot of things."

Meanwhile, Mikael had finally decided that Lucifer's tirade had gone on long enough and grabbed his arm. "What are you talking about?" He muttered. "If you're trying to pretend to be insane in order to get out of helping us, it won't work!"

"I'm not trying to get _out_ of helping you," Lucifer frowned and pulled his arm out of Mikaels' grip. "You should be more grateful that I'm trying to save you from my Father's tricks. And don't you _dare_ lay a hand on me again!"

Mikael, not intimidated at all, just burst into laughter. "You _must_ be joking!" He drawled. "Cause you can't mean that, you know, _God_ decided to stick us all here away from our loved ones!"

"Really?" Lucifer got out. "You're considering Gwen your loved one now? I thought you were too proud to say such a thing out loud. That seems to be your thing, right? Putting your pride over your family?"

"Oh, that was years ago!" Mikael scoffed. "I've changed! Gwendolyn will tell you!"

"Shame she's not here to," Lucifer got up close. "And you know why that is? I don't think my father wanted to send her away. I think, as much as I don't want to, that he has other plans for her, that don't involve you. You might never see her again. Just something to keep in mind."

"Okay," Dexter told them. "You've all been separated from your children. They've probably been put somewhere else. I don't know where, but we'll figure it out."

"I don't know if that'll provide much comfort," Maeve said as he approached her. "But I guess it's better than nothing." She paused and looked at all the couples huddled together and chatting. "You know, it's really not fair that practically everyone here got to have a significant other with them and we didn't. Why? _Why_?"

"Probably so we wouldn't get distracted," Dexter told her and gestured at Lucifer who was sulking in a corner. "With Ellie gone, you know it's gonna take us together just to keep _him_ under control."

"Damn!" Maeve sighed and then gritted her teeth. "How did we get so _lucky_?"


	3. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

At first Lisa thought that even with everyone disappearing, eventually, it would be fine to just leave Noah with his mother so she could go home and start looking for hers, but then, Ellie seemed to lose her mind. She locked herself in Lucifer's music room and put a spell on her hands so that she could play the piano. At first, no one minded cause it seemed to give her comfort that she sorely needed. But then Angelica made the mistake of being openly affectionate with Sammy in front of her so that every time they came to the music room after, to bring her meals or whatever, she just started playing "The Entertainer" over and over again, even when Angelica begged her to learn another song. This later became a day and night thing.

Lisa didn't like it either, cause Ellie played loudly and it stopped her from sleeping, so instead, she just did the best she could to comfort Noah while staring out the window and trying not to feel like she was stuck in a prison.

One night, Lee walked past her half-open door and heard her crying. He shook his head and tried to ignore it, but quickly backpedaled and went inside.

He approached slowly. Since she was holding the baby, he didn't want to startle her. But she didn't even acknowledge his presence until he moved Noah back to his crib and sat next to her.

"I'm not surprised the boy isn't asleep what with all your sobbing," he said as she raised her chin and faced him. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing is the matter," Lisa sniffled and sat up straight, speaking in a low voice. "And even if something _was_ the matter, I wouldn't tell you about it because you would only make fun of me and that is _not_ what I need right now. Will you just go away, please?"

"Fine," Lee hissed and stood up. "Of course I'll go. I have better things to do than sit around and listen to a crybaby like you!"

"I'm _not_ a crybaby!" Lisa told him, yanking his arm so that he sat down hard beside her and groaned. "I just...my parents are gone, I don't know if I'll ever see them again, I miss them, and I feel...I feel very alone. Not that you would know anything about that."

Lee sighed and reached out to move some strands of red hair out of her eyes. "Actually, I _do_ know what that feels like," he said. "Mother wasn't really one for discussing feelings or anything personal at all. And when...when you can't share things with people...well, it made me always feel lonely too."

He brought his eyes up to meet hers and Lisa stared at him for a long time to make sure he was telling her the truth and not just making fun of her. Finally, she decided he was opening up to her and she decided to run with it, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze as he reached out to wipe tears from her cheeks.

"She doesn't sound like a very good mother," she remarked as she brought his palm up to her cheek and then held it to kiss his fingers. "I'm sorry."

But Lee didn't say anything. He couldn't. The feeling of her hand in his and her lips against his fingers was...it was an interesting sensation. He'd never been touched like this before and it...it really was _something_.

Caught up in the moment, he took her face in his hands and brought his face close to hers, but stopped when he realized she was crying again.

"What now?" He sighed.

"I'm...I'm sorry, I just...I can't stop thinking about you and your mom and how horrible it must've been," she said. "I mean, I know that I can talk to my parents about anything and they'll love me always, and..." She threw herself into his arms and he held onto her, rolling his eyes.

"Now you look at me," he told her at last. "I suppose in a way, it's nice that you care. But crying will solve nothing. It's in the past. I've dealt with it in my own way. You don't need to take it on your own shoulders. That's just silly." He moved some wet hair that was stuck to her face and when she spoke again, her voice was full of resolve.

"Someone has to care about you," she said. "Why not me?"

They were looking in each other's eyes now, their lips practically meeting.

"Shut up," he told her, taking her in his arms and then kissing her soundly as his fingers tousled her red hair. His body gave a jump when he felt her squeeze his thigh, and as payback, he began nibbling on her earlobe.

"Oh, that's good," she breathed as his hand slid under her shirt. "Do more of that...I want more of that."

But then, as her shirt went on the floor and he was trying to unhook her bra, they came to their senses and she gave him a good, hard slap. "Just what do you think you're doing?" She asked. "I don't want to do that with _you_! Stop messing with me when I'm in an emotionally vulnerable state!"

"Oh, you think I did that on _purpose_?" Lee scoffed and watched her grab her shirt off the floor and put it back on again. "What about you? 'Oh, someone needs to care about you. I will'."

" _Believe me_ , I regret saying that," Lisa assured him and zapped up a brush to fix her hair. "You won't hear me say it again. In fact, I think we'll both be much better off if we never bring up what almost happened here."

"Right," Lee nodded and stood up. "I'm going now."

"Good," Lisa told him. "I'm not sorry to see the back of you." Her cheeks felt warm. She hoped she wasn't blushing.

Lee left then and she went to stand over Noah's crib. He was finally asleep. "You're the only guy I want to worry about now," she whispered and pulled his blanket up a little. "That's good enough for me."

* * *

At first, Gwen had thought that the gift of her solitude was only temporary and she would wake up to a house full of men when she least expected it. But it didn't happen and she was pretty sure she knew why: Lucifer didn't like Mikael and had issues with Jeffrey, what with him being a demon and all, and wanted to give her a break. That was it! She had to thank him.

So she got in her nicest black dress and asked her chauffeur to drive her to Lucifer's, and was very surprised when it was not him or Dexter but Sammy who answered the door.

"Who are you?" Gwen asked. "I didn't know Lucifer had hired new help!"

"I'm not the help," Sammy snapped. "I'm Angelica's boyfriend. Who are you? We haven't seen anyone as old as you around here in _days_!"

Gwen wanted to turn him into something small and squash-able for that remark, and was just about to when Angelica's appearance stopped her.

"Hi, Gwen!" She greeted her. "How are you here? What can we do for you?"

"What sort of stupid question is that first one?" Gwen asked. "Let me talk to your father! I want to thank him for a favor I think he did me."

"I can't do that," Angelica replied. "He's gone. Totally and completely gone."

"Well, where did he go?" Gwen asked. "And when will he be back?"

"We don't know the answer to either question," Angelica shrugged. "Why don't you come in and sit down, and I'll get you a drink? You'll need it after you hear what's been going on."

Gwen accepted Angelica's offer and, as Angelica had predicted, by the time everything had been explained to her, Gwen had finished not just one drink, but five. "So you're serious that I'm the only adult here?" She asked.

"We're adults!" Sammy protested. "Just because we're young doesn't mean we can't act in adult ways."

Gwen smirked. "Well that's yet to be seen," she said. Then she turned back to Angelica. "Why do you think it is that I'm here? Why aren't I with people closer to my own age, wherever it is that they've gone?"

"I don't know," Angelica shrugged. "Sorry to have to tell you that. But I...I did some hunting and I'm pretty sure I have the beginnings of an idea of what's going on. I think it's my Grandfather that did all this."

"Her capital 'g' Grandpa," Sammy added. "You know?"

"Well, yes, but that still doesn't say much, does it?" Gwen asked.

"He didn't tell me anything about his plan," Angelica added. "All his note that he left me at the hospital said was 'Trust me'." She scoffed. "You know, Daddy has always said to watch out for him and while I don't quite have the enmity toward him that Dad does, I'm beginning to agree that I should at least be a _little_ wary."

"That's a very good thing to be telling yourself," Gwen encouraged. "Never give anyone your your complete trust unless you know for sure that you can. Always keep one eye open. That way, in case something goes wrong, it's easier to get out of it."

"I'll make a note of that," Angelica promised her with a smile. "Thanks!"

They sat in awkward silence for a few more minutes and then Sammy finally asked Gwen if she'd like to be driven home since she'd had so much to drink.

"No, thanks," Gwen shook her head and got to her feet, staying amazingly steady. "My driver brought me. I'll be all right. Goodbye, children!"

They watched her go out the door and then Sammy told Angelica, "She's weird. How does your dad know her again?"

"She's a prominent witch," Ellie shrugged. "Dad knows all of them."

"Ah," Sammy nodded. "Okay." He paused. "Should we try coax your mother out of the music room? It's been awhile since we did it last."

"I don't know if it'll work this time, but I suppose we could try," Angelica agreed. "Let's bring her food. That might lure her out." She sighed and followed Sammy to the music room. Even from the doorway, she could see that her mother had played for so long that her fingers were bleeding and there was blood all over the keys. That would have to be cleaned up before Dad got back, that was for sure.

Sammy and Angelica looked at one another, nodded, and grabbed hands, cautiously making their way into the room.

"Mom?" Angie began cautiously, then a little louder. "Mom!"

"What?" Ellie finally stopped and turned her head, even though her hands remained on the keys. "What do you want?"

"You think you might want to stop playing for a little while? Maybe take a walk around? Eat something? Have a shower?" Angelica questioned, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No, thanks," Ellie said and then began playing again. "I'm not hungry."

That was a lie. They could hear her stomach growling.

"I think you need to eat," Angelica insisted and then made the mistake of trying to pull her mother off the piano bench. Then, Ellie let out a terrible shriek and soon, Angelica was enveloped in flames. Sammy was terrified but then let out a sigh of relief when the fire cleared and Angelica emerged unharmed.

"What did you do that for?" She asked her mother.

"That's how lusty people get punished in Hell," Ellie explained, eyes narrowed. "I think it's rather fitting for you now, don't you?"

"I'm in a committed relationship that Grandpa thought up!" Angelica protested. "That's hardly something that would be punished in Hell! And it's also not fair to punish me just because I get to have sex still and you don't! Damn it, do you realize how long it will take to get the smoke smell and soot off me? Thanks a lot, Mom!"

"Well, that's what you get for trying to take me away from the one thing that brings me comfort!" Ellie told her. "The piano makes me feel close to your father, even when he's not here. I don't see why that's so hard for people to grasp."

"You keep playing the same song over and over!" Angelica pointed out. "Your hands are bleeding! The piano keys are stained! It's driving everyone crazy!"

"Well, it's very selfish of you all to think your feelings are more important than my pain," Ellie said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere. Please leave now."

"Fine," Angelica nodded. "But since you won't accept help from us, I'm telling Junior he can call Grandma Sarah and Josh. Cause you can't go on like this. You _can't_!" She then looked at Sammy. "Come on," she said and took his hand. "I think we're done here."

They left to tell Junior to make the call, and when Sarah and Josh arrived, Sarah said, "Junior sounded like things are urgent. How bad is it?"

" _Really_ bad," Sammy said. "You know where the music room is, right?"

"I forget," Sarah shook her head. "Will it be hard to find?"

"No, just follow the sound of 'The Entertainer' being played over and over again and you'll be all right," Sammy told her. "And be gentle. If you try to force her away from the piano, she _will_ set you on fire."

"That's good to know," Josh remarked. "Thanks for the heads up." They made their way down the hall and Sammy and Angelica waited, hoping they could get through to Ellie when no one else could. Finally, the music stopped, and Josh and Sarah returned.

"We did it," Sarah said quietly. "Ellie is out of the music room and tucked into her bed, and the piano is clean. Do you think it would be a good idea for us to stay for a while?"

"Yeah," Angelica nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. "I really think it would."

* * *

When Gwen had arrived home from Lucifer's, she'd found several vases, each filled with a dozen of a different color of rose, covering the kitchen table. Naturally, she'd been curious and had asked her assistant, Julie, where they had come from.

"We found them on the step," she was told. "And it came with a card that hardly explains much more than that. Here, have a look."

The card on the vase of red roses said:

 _Beautiful roses for a beautiful woman._

 _Your most fervent admirer,_

 _G_

She'd had no idea who 'G' was, of course. Or why he liked her. It wasn't Mikael or Jeffrey trying to be sneaky. Or at least she hoped it wasn't, even though it would be just like both of them to know when she was ready to swear off men and try to manipulate her to change her mind with a bunch of flowers. Twenty four hours later, that was still her only guess about who her secret admirer was.

"Oh, holy crap!" Cried a voice.

Gwen looked up and saw her daughter Rebecca standing at the edge of the kitchen, her eyes wide and her hand over her mouth.

"I assume you're surprised about the flowers?" Gwen smirked. "Amazing, isn't it? All for me."

"But there are so damn _many_!" Rebecca said. "Who are they from?"

"I don't exactly know," Gwen shook her head. "'Secret admirer' is as much information as I have right now."

"Well, isn't that nice?" Rebecca said, picking up the yellow roses and holding them against her chest. "It's been a while since Eli got me flowers. Can I have these?"

"Sure," Gwen nodded. "It's not like I'm lacking any."

"So, do you think Mikael or Jeffrey sent these as a way to get you to choose one over the other?" Rebecca questioned. "I've told you it's about time you chose. I don't think they'll keep being okay with being strung along for much longer."

"Well, that's not anything we need to worry about," Gwen remarked. "I think I'm done with both. I'm gonna try and find someone better."

"And how are you planning on doing that?" Rebecca wanted to know. "What criteria are you using, and do you actually expect it to bring you someone good?"

"You know, you're asking a lot of questions," Gwen told her.

"I just don't want you to have a love life as screwed up as mine," Rebecca said. "One night stands and stuff. It's not good!"

"Your love life is a cakewalk compared to mine," Gwen reminded her. "Don't forget how long I've been around and the circumstances that led to your brothers existing."

"True," Rebecca nodded, pulling her blonde hair out of its tie, shaking it out, and then putting it up again. "Good point." She paused and took the card from her mother. "Hmmm...so you have no idea at all who this 'G' is?"

"No, but he better be _really_ special," Gwen said. "That's all I have patience for in a man right now."

"Oh, I'm sure he will be," Rebecca assured her.

"You think?" Gwen wanted to know.

"I do," Rebecca told her and then gave her a hug before accepting Julie's offer of coffee with cream.

* * *

Once they had gotten Ellie out of the music room and buried under the covers in her bedroom, allowing no one near her except Noah, the household moved onto the next problem: Valerie.

Like her mother, Valerie wasn't managing well without Dexter. Celibacy was not a good color on either woman. She'd actually become violent and had gotten into a tussle with Angelica that had resulted in several of the walls getting holes in them as well as the destruction of lots of valuable glass and porcelain. And Angelica had just been trying to help.

"You gave it a good shot," Vincent told his sister. "Why don't I try?"

"Okay, that could work," Angelica winced. "You're both enduring losses. She could see you as a sympathetic soul. I hope you have better luck with her than I did."

"Thanks," Vincent said and went to Valerie's room. "Hey," he told her from the doorway. "I hear things aren't going so well for you."

"Yeah, what tipped you off?" Valerie snapped. "My sunny disposition?"

"No, the holes in the walls," Vincent remarked as he looked around the room.

"Well, I'm angry!" Valerie said. "You know what it feels like to really need to have sex and not be able to!"

"Why don't I take you to the club?" Vincent suggested. "It could be fun."

"Why?" Valerie snapped. "So you can find me a guy cause you think I'll cheat on Dexter like you did with Lauren? No thank you! I can hold out. Seriously, I'm fine!"

"You're obviously not fine," Vincent told her as he made his way further into the room. "Everything is a mess and you're mad and destroying things. We need to find you another vice: Gluttony or greed? Cheesecake or shopping?"

"Seriously?" Valerie asked, sitting up. "You...you wanna spend time with me even after I hurt you when I found out about what happened between you and Lauren?"

"Yeah, sure," Vincent nodded. "Unless you don't want to."

"Well, I _have_ been wanting to go to the cheesecake place and try all the flavors," Valerie grinned. "But I knew Dexter wouldn't go with me cause he doesn't indulge so much and it's no fun to go by myself so I never said anything." She got out of bed and put on some new clothes. "All right," she told him. "Let's go. And you're not just doing this because you feel sorry for me, right?"

"No, I really want to spend time with you," Vincent reassured her. "Love's two losers. It might make us feel better."

"Yeah," Valerie nodded and gave him a small smile. "I think it might."

* * *

As soon as they got back, the phone began ringing. No one was around to answer it, so Vincent decided to take the initiative. Then he saw who it was: Lauren. Calling his house after so many days of silence.

Not wanting to sound too desperate, he waited a few rings before he picked it up, and greeted her in a low voice.

"How are you, babe?" He asked. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? What are you wearing?"

"I just heard about everyone disappearing and wanted to know who all was gone and if...I mean, just who was home." He had to grin. Her voice was unsteady. Him answering had thrown her.

"Well, my dad's gone," Vincent told her. "And it's driven mom _nuts_! Lisa and Mom aren't allowing me near Noah at all."

"That's good," Lauren replied. "He's just a baby. He needs to be safe. Is he safe, Vincent?"

"Oh, yes," Vincent replied. "He sure is. And I know...I know Nick is too. He's okay, right?"

"Yes," Lauren replied and then made crying noises that were obviously fake. "He's upset, I gotta go! So sorry to hear about your parents."

Vincent grinned. She was wanting him and it was _killing_ her. "I don't think so," he said. "I think you're making it up."

"I am not!" Lauren told him. "Why would I do such a stupid thing?"

"Because the sound of my voice is making you hot and you don't want to deal with it so you're making an excuse to hang up," he told her. "And you never answered my question about what you were wearing."

"I'm wearing clothes!" Lauren snapped. "That's all you need to know."

"You know, if I was there, you wouldn't," he told her. "I'd get you naked and then my lips would be all over you. Every inch of that beautiful skin..."

He heard her make a squeaking noise into the phone. "What was that?" He asked with a chuckle as he pictured her pulling at her clothes with one hand.

"Nothing," Lauren told him. "Stubbed my toe. Had nothing to do with you."

"If you want me to pause while you strip down, I can," He told her, not hiding the laughter in his voice. "I have no wish to prolong your suffering."

"What suffering?" Lauren asked. "There's no suffering!" She'd never tell him that there was. That her demon libido was just starting to kick in and that she was, in fact, talking to him wearing nothing but her underwear. At the first words he'd spoken, she'd zapped the rest off. This was fine to do because she hadn't had to look at his smarmy, smirking face while she did it.

"Oh, please, Lauren," Vincent told her. "You don't have to lie to me. I know you're a demon and I know what happens when it's been awhile. Nick is asleep, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Lauren got out. "He...he sleeps really well."

"Okay, so you get in your bed or a bath or something, and listen to me," he told her. "We're going to play a little game."

"No," Lauren said. "I don't need it! I don't need us to play any of those games!"

"Yes, you do!" Vincent told her. "It'll be a lot easier for you if you just admit it. And since you're doing it while Nick is asleep, it's not like you're putting your needs over his. Right?"

"Well, fine," Lauren huffed. "Since you put it that way."

Part of him wanted to run to his room and do the game from there, rather than from the phone in the main hallway, but he didn't want to risk losing the connection. Who knew if she would call again? So he stayed on and kept talking. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"Just a minute," she said. "Do you mind if I run a bath first?"

"A bath?" Vincent asked. "You mean you're gonna be naked and wet when we do this?"

"Yeah," Lauren told him. "And soapy. _Real_ soapy!"

"Damn!" Vincent whispered. "Damn you, you vixen!"

"Hey, if you're gonna make me do this, I won't be the only one who's feeling things." Lauren shot back. She was regaining some control. It felt good.

She quickly ran the bath and told Vincent when she was settled in the water. She got him good, telling him about washing all her nooks and crannies with the soapy loofah, but as he told her where to touch herself after, he could tell she was getting more out of his instructions, based on all the gasping and murmuring she was doing.

"Feeling better?" He asked, amazed how smug he still managed to sound, even though he was aroused too.

"Yep, and I-I hope you feel worse!" Lauren told him. "Don't think this is gonna be something we do all the time. It's something that I can do perfectly well without your help."

"Oh, you're _always_ gonna have my help," Vincent told her. "Even if I'm not talking to you directly, who do you think you'll be seeing behind your closed eyes while you touch yourself. I think we both know."

"No, you don't!" Lauren snapped. "Shut up! I'm hanging up now!"

She did and Vincent found an amused Adrian staring back at him. "How are you gonna explain the sex calls when the phone bill comes?" He asked.

"I...I wasn't paying for that," he blushed. "I was just helping Lauren."

"Yeah, and I bet she helped you a little too, right?" Adrian smirked and gave him a wink. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks," Vincent told him. "Even though I'm not doing anything wrong, thanks a lot!"


	4. A Real Godsend

There was something weird about the flowers. Even after several days, when they should have been wilted and ready to throw away, they still remained as fresh as the day Gwen had received them.

"Are they ready to throw away yet?" Julie asked her one day. "Or at least to be moved to another spot? You're having Rebecca and Robbie and Louisa and Eli over for dinner and this is your best table."

"Yes, I know that," Gwen sighed. "But there's nowhere else in the house for this many flowers, is there? And I don't get why they haven't withered away by now! I've had them for ages!"

"Did you use magic to keep them in top shape?" Julie questioned. "If so, it worked wonders."

"No, and that's the thing!" Gwen exclaimed. "I haven't touched them! And I still haven't figured out who 'G' is, either."

"Well, why would you want to?" Julie sighed. "There's something about the mystery of a secret admirer that's so _thrilling!"_

But since Gwen was not the romantic type, she had to know who it was. And, not knowing precisely where to begin, she went to the last place she'd been before she got the flowers. But first, she called Angelica so she wouldn't have to risk running into that fool she called a boyfriend.

"I think your father sent me flowers for some reason." she said. "Probably to wish me good luck on my new single life. But he went to great lengths to hide it, what with signing a different name on the card and everything."

"What?" Angelica questioned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, who else but your father would send me flowers that don't wilt?" Gwen asked. "Although why he initialed the card with a letter 'G' I have no idea."

"Oh, damn!" Angelica said. "Those flowers aren't from Dad. They're from-"

"Who?" Gwen asked, and then shook Angelica when she wouldn't answer right away. "Who are the flowers from if not your father?"

"This might seem incredible," Angelica finally answered. "But I think they're from my Grandpa. You know, capital 'g' God."

"What?" Gwen burst into laughter. "You can't be serious! You're playing a joke on me!"

"Why would I do that?" Angelica asked. "What purpose would it serve? I'm not lying to you, I swear! I don't _do_ that!"

"Well, why would your grandfather be sending me flowers?" Gwen asked. "Why?"

"Search me," Angelica shrugged. "I didn't even know He was capable of those kinds of feelings. And I'd ask Him for you, but I don't know where He went and the last communication I had from Him was a note right after He left my hospital that said 'Trust me'. Nothing about, 'I have a crush on a woman and I'm going to start sending her flowers'. This is as much a shock to me as it is to you."

"Well, what should I do then?" Gwen asked. "What does one do when a being like that has a crush on them? I mean, I said I wanted someone powerful in my life now that Mikael and Jeffrey are out of it, but I never expected this!" She paused and her eyes widened. "That's it!" She cried.

"What's it?" Angelica asked.

"He doesn't really have a crush on me, or whatever you want to call it," Gwen said. "He knows that I was in a relationship with two men at once and He's gonna send me to Hell for it, but he wants to lull me into a false sense of security first by making me think that He likes me and is gonna be merciful. That's what's going on! I'm _dead_!"

Angelica's eyes widened for a little while and then she scoffed. "You know, that's kind of like how Dad talks about Grandpa, only you have more fear and less anger. I mean, you could be right, but I don't think you are. I think you're freaking out more than is strictly necessary. Just wait and see what happens before you start worrying."

"Oh, no, dear," Gwen got up, much calmer now. "I'm not a sitting duck. I am not just gonna sit around and wait to be attacked. I'm gonna do what I can to defend myself!"

"And how will you do that?" Angelica questioned as she walked with her to the front door.

"The only way that there is!" Gwen got out. "But first, I have to go shopping!"

* * *

Gwen looked up at the church, straightened the creases in the skirt of her black gown, straightened the matching hat she'd bought along with it just to come here, took a deep breath, and marched inside. It was weird being in a church. Not because she was a witch and witches were repulsed by religion. No. It's just that...she'd always thought herself too rational to be helped by it.

Despite what had been tossed about by humans over the years, witches could have religion if it suited them, just like humans did. There were some that fit the idea of a stereotypical witch, and others that didn't. It just depended on the person. Throughout magical history, being darker or being more on the side of the light was either more popular or less popular (although of course there was always a mix of people who went either way.) Especially in the middle ages and dark ages, it was more popular to be power hungry. Witches tried to blend in with the Church and when rejected after they refused to completely conform, turned against them. That had tainted everyone for the longest time. They still hadn't managed to get rid of the stereotype.

This is what Gwen thought of as she walked through the church, marveling at all the artwork and the beauty of the stain glass windows. They were so beautiful. They really were.

"Hello!"

Gwen started and let out an undignified squeak when she heard the greeting and felt the hand on her shoulder. Then she turned around and saw the smiling priest looking back at her. He had kind dark eyes, a weather-beaten face, and dark hair with a receding hairline.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," he said in a warm voice. "It's just that I've not seen you around before and I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Father Richard Gruske." He held out his hand.

"Gwen," she told him and took it. "Gwen Hamilton. It's just...It's rare for me to be in church and I'm always a bit overwhelmed when I come."

"That's completely natural," Father Richard told her with a smile. "You're not the only one who feels that way. Some people get quite intimidated when it comes to figuring out how to have a relationship with the Lord."

"Oh, you have _no_ idea how intimidated I feel right now," Gwen said. "So how does this whole thing start? Do I go to services or confess things, or...?"

"You could do a confession right now if you'd like," he offered. "And then you can stay for the service if you're still in that frame of mind."

"I think I will be," Gwen assured him as she followed him to the confessional, then looked up, hoping G was hearing all this. "I don't believe you'll have to worry about that."

* * *

Adrian had kept his promise and not told anyone about the phone sex between Vincent and Lauren, but no one could ignore the change that had occurred in Vincent after it.

"What's going on with you?" Christopher asked him. "Why are you so happy?"

"Because I think Lauren and I are close to getting back together!" Vincent grinned. "So why _shouldn't_ I be happy?"

"What makes you think you and Lauren are getting back together?" Christopher questioned. "Cause last I saw, I think she still hates you a lot."

"If she hated me so much, then why do I still make her so _hot_ still?" Vincent questioned with a wide grin.

"You can't take a reaction that is largely more physical and say that means the same thing as a decision Lauren would make when she's thinking more rationally," Christopher argued.

"Would you stop raining on my parade?" Vincent requested. "You're ruining my good mood!"

"Well, I just don't want you to get all hurt again when things don't turn out the way you expect," Christopher continued. "Don't get mad at me for that."

"I don't think anything will go wrong," Vincent said. "If Dad can be forgiven, so can I. It'll all turn out right. You'll see."

But then the doorbell rang, and a man in a dark blue suit and carrying a brown leather briefcase stared at him when he opened the door. "Are you Vincent Morningstar?" He asked.

"Yeah," Vincent nodded. "What do you want?"

"You've been served," he said and thrust some papers at him. "Bye."

"What is it?" Christopher asked, coming over when he saw the blood drain from his friend's face.

"Divorce papers," Vincent muttered and then turned to shake them in Christopher's face. "Damn it, Christopher! She sent me fucking divorce papers when things were going so well!"

"Obviously they weren't," Christopher replied dryly, his arms crossed. "I _knew_ this was coming!"

"Well, I'm not taking this lying down," Vincent said, throwing the papers on the floor and stomping on them as Christopher winced. "I won't! I'm going to find her and tell Lauren just what I think of her and her stupid divorce papers!"

He then let out a yell and began throwing whatever he could find at the wall, leaving the remnants of many antiques on the floor as Christopher struggled to keep a hold of him and convince him to take a deep breath and calm down.

"What do you think you're doing?" Christopher questioned. "How is this helping? It's not! There are other ways to deal with your anger!"

"You're right!" Vincent nodded and picked up the papers, which now had a giant footprint on them. "I know just how to deal with this! I have somewhere I need to go. Don't come after me!"

"You're gonna hunt Lauren down, aren't you?" Christopher questioned with a sigh.

"What else would I do?" Vincent replied. "She started it."

* * *

It took him longer than he thought it would to find her. The first place he headed was the apartment, where he used his magic to unlock the door and made his way inside, calling Lauren's name and trying to stay calm as he assured her that all he wanted to do was talk about the divorce papers. But after he searched all the rooms, he saw that no one was around. The apartment was empty.

He was about to give up and look somewhere else when he found an ad for a fancy French restaurant on her kitchen table with the words " **Date night with Tyler, Friday"** written on it in thick black pen. It was Lauren's handwriting. And this was Friday. He made note of the restaurant's address, zapped himself into a new outfit, and then made his way to the restaurant because date or not, he and Lauren were going to have a talk.

* * *

It didn't take him long to find the restaurant, get in, and compel someone to lead him to Lauren's table, where she was sitting with an obviously human man. albeit not a hideous one. He had blue eyes and wore a nice suit. When Lauren said something that made him laugh, a nice set of very white teeth appeared.

"Hello, Lauren," Vincent told her. "Got your little present."

"Now is not the right time!" Lauren whispered angrily. "How did you find this place? Can't you see I'm on a date? Go away!"

"Who's that?" The man, Tyler, asked.

"Don't mind him," Lauren told him. "He's just...this is Vincent."

"Your crazy ex?" Tyler's eyes widened.

"I should have known getting the papers would make you act like a child," Lauren told Vincent after rising to her feet. "Although I hoped we could be mature about this."

"How's this for mature?" Vincent questioned. "Fuck you about the divorce papers, Lauren! Fuck you!"

This made Tyler rise to his feet. You know," he got out, looking Vincent in the eye. "You shouldn't talk to her like that. It's not very nice!"

Vincent turned on him. "I'm not taking advice about being respectful from the man whose having dinner with my wife behind my back!"

"She said you were divorcing!" Tyler got out.

"And we are," Lauren assured him. "Don't worry, Tyler. "We're not doing anything wrong. And he won't be my husband much longer."

"So just go and leave us alone!" Tyler demanded.

"I will not!" Vincent replied, and Lauren groaned as he picked the human up off his feet. Tyler had been a wrestler and weight-lifted as a hobby when he wasn't modeling underwear, but even with that strength, he was no match for an angry Vincent, who immediately began shaking him then took a steak knife off the table and held it to his throat, whispering, "I will not hesitate to kill you!"

Lauren looked around. People were staring and muttering to themselves. Some even had out their phones, presumably to call the police. She had to do something before someone got hurt. "Vincent, if you'll put the knife down and let him go, we can talk, all right? Just please don't hurt him."

Vincent then dropped the knife, pushed Tyler aside, and after Lauren offered the human man her apologies, gave Lauren a smile and said, "I wasn't really gonna hurt him. I just wanted to rile you up a bit. Remind you who was better."

"You may be stronger and more powerful, but based on how you're acting right now, you're definitely _not_ better," Lauren replied. "However, because I don't want anyone else to get hurt, let's go somewhere and talk about this."

* * *

So they drove back to the apartment and paused outside the door. "Where's Nick?" Vincent asked. "Did you leave him with Toni? Why didn't you do that when _I_ said I wanted to go out? Toni's just as much a demon as the ones at my house that you were too afraid to leave Nick with. A bit hypocritical of you, don't you think?"

"Now I've had the time I need to adjust to being a parent," Lauren explained. "I realize why you feel the way you do and I'm sorry if you're hurt by my actions, but it is what it is. If you want to move forward, stop fussing at me and let's just get this over with!"

"Why should I when you're taking everything from me?" Vincent asked. "Why should I be nice to you about it?"

"Because I'm _not_ taking everything from you," Lauren replied. "I'm being generous and allowing you visitation with Nick. I didn't have to, especially considering everyrthing you've done and how dangerous you can be, but I did because I truly believe that part of you loves him, no matter how immature and insane you act."

Vincent chuckled and then backed her up against the wall, whispering in her ear. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about something more pleasant: like how there's a part of you, even if you're trying to forget about it, that still wants me physically. That needs me _bad._ No human man will ever satisfy you the way I do, no matter how good-looking and well-built he might be. It'll be better for you when you admit that to yourself." He then pulled her hair out of its tie and began running his fingers through it. It was so soft and it smelled so good!

He began kissing her neck too, and even nibbling on it a little, then gently licking the blood up as Lauren breathed unsteadily for a little bit before finally finding her voice.

"Let me go, Vincent," she whispered. "Let me go!" But in spite of her protests, in her head, she realized that his lips felt good against her neck, and even the pain of the bites was pleasant in its own way. Why else would she be moaning?

Then she locked eyes with him and said, "All right, take me. Or kiss me. We'll just see how far it goes. But know that it's not because I like you. You're just...you're just the means to an end! I want to make that clear." Vincent barely had time to smirk before her mouth crashed against his and soon, just like they used to, they were kissing each other furiously as he hiked her skirt up, undid his pants, and then picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as she clung to him and moaned as entered her over and over again, both hoping that every bit of protection would stay where it was supposed to.

Then they were stopped rather abruptly when one of her neighbors, with her child's hand in her grip, stood in the doorway and cleared her throat.

"Sorry for interrupting," she said. "But Ronnie and I are making cookies and I wondered if you had a cup of sugar to spare. We can go somewhere else, though, if..."

"No, no," Lauren shook her head as Vincent reluctantly let her go and they quickly put their clothes to rights. "You came just at the right time. Let me get the sugar for you."

After the neighbor had her sugar and had left, Lauren shut and locked the door and said to Vincent, "There now, you've had your fun. Now you sign the divorce papers. No more excuses! It'll be best for both of us if you get it done right away and don't dawdle"

"I'm not signing anything," Vincent told her firmly, going to the refrigerator and drinking some milk right out of the carton. "You and Nick are mine, no matter how much you want to forget that." He burped and then made his way to the door. "Goodnight. We'll be seeing each other again sometime soon."

"Over my dead body!" Lauren spat.

Vincent clicked his tongue and shook his head as he pulled the door open. "I really hope it doesn't come to that."

* * *

Even though the relationship between Junior and Sarah hadn't turned out the way either of them had hoped, Sarah was still very close to his parents and made an effort to visit them from time to time. It was on one of those visits that she heard about Maeve disappearing.

"Yep, she just was gone one day," Mary sighed sadly. "We've been watching the girls while Sean's been at work, but he finally decided to take some time off and take care of the girls himself because he didn't want to do the same thing with them that he did with Ellie."

"Well, isn't that considerate of him?" Sarah asked. "And how's that going? Do you think he needs help?"

"Well, he's a man who's never raised children full-time before juggling two," Mary smiled. "I think he does, even though he's trying so hard on his own."

"I'll go over and check on him," Sarah promised her. "I've got the time."

"Thank you," Mary told her and gave her a hug. "You're such a sweet woman."

After that, Sarah got in her car and headed to Junior's house, where she rang the doorbell a couple times and then waited. Soon enough, she heard the sound of loud crying and a worn out Junior say, "Just a minute. Who is it?"

"Sean, it's me, Sarah," Sarah told him. "I thought you might want some help."

"Yes, please," Junior told her. "And could you use your magic to open the door? My hands are full."

He sounded exhausted. She opened the door, gazed upon him, covered in all sorts of stains, his face drawn and with dark circles under his eyes. "I'll take one," she said and took Emma before stepping inside and shutting the door with her foot. "Your mother wasn't kidding when she said it was chaos here."

"Don't judge me!" Junior snapped. "I'm doing my best by myself since Maeve's run off who knows why! You would know how that is!"

"Oh, I'm not being critical," Sarah reassured him as she cuddled Emma and cooed at her. "You're right that I _would_ know. I know it's hard and you're doing the best you can, but sometimes you still feel like it's not enough. That's why I want to help."

"Well, thank you," Junior replied. "That would be the last thing I'd expect after everything that's happened between us? You don't have to do this, you know. I've already left you to raise one of my daughters. I don't want you to have that burden again, especially since this time, they aren't even yours. I-"

But Sarah put a finger against his lips and shook her head. "The past doesn't matter," she said. "We're friends now, we've put it behind us. What we have now is two beautiful little girls that need to be taken care of." She grinned at him. "I'll do that while you take a shower and change. And maybe you should take a nap too. You seem exhausted."

"Well I am," he admitted. "My shifts at the hospital aren't half as difficult as this." He paused. "I suppose I could use a rest and a bath, or at least a change of clothes. Are you _positive_ that you'll be okay with watching the girls while I do that?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine! We'll be fine."

Junior handed her Lexie, who immediately began screaming, which worked up Emma, who began screaming too.

"Go!" Sarah assured their concerned father. "I can deal with this!" She brought them both to Emma's room and changed them and fed them. That calmed them both down. Emma continued to be happy and even gave Sarah a smile or two, but Lexie was a tougher customer: she allowed herself to be taken care of, but kept giving Sarah a frown as if to say 'You can't fool me! You're not my mother and I know it!'

By the time Junior emerged after his shower and nap, Sarah had gotten the girls down for their own naps and was waiting for him in the living room.

"You seem like everything went okay," he said and sat down next to her. "Thanks for getting me a break. I hope the girls behaved themselves."

"Emma likes me, I think," Sarah told him. "But Lexie knows I'm not Maeve and she is _not_ happy."

"Yeah," Junior nodded. "Doesn't surprise me that that's how it turned out. Maeve and Lexie are close."

"You want some food?" Sarah asked. "I can make you a sandwich. I was about to make one for myself."

"I just got a bunch of lunch meat and cheese," Junior smiled as they both went to the kitchen. "We can make sandwiches together!"

"Great," Sarah smiled as he got the stuff out of the refrigerator. "Sounds good to me!"


	5. The Inconvenience Of Feelings

"Are you okay?" Dexter asked Maeve. He'd been hearing her cry for several days now, and had wanted to help her out, but thought he would be embarrassed if she said anything so he waited. But finally, her tears left him so heartbroken that he couldn't wait anymore. He came up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, which made her start.

"Oh, sorry," she sniffled. "Do you need me for something? If you hand me a tissue, I'll come with you."

"No, it's okay," he told her, sitting next to her and putting his arm around her. "You miss the girls. You can say it."

"I feel like it's my fault!" Maeve wailed.

"You know that's not true," Dexter said and actually kissed her hair, even though he knew she'd probably rip his lips off after. "Please don't beat yourself up about it." He grinned and then gave her a wink. "It can't be your fault when we already said it was Lucifer's remember?"

"Yeah," Maeve laughed weakly. "I remember. I just...I hope they're getting taken care of well. That Junior is paying attention to the schedule I made up. I did it for a reason, you know. This whole mess is Lucifer's fault, but I can't help but think that his dad is using this experience as a way to show me why it's bad not to believe in myself or the girls, for thinking that I could be a bad mother."

"Oh, come on," Dexter grinned. "You're the best mother those girls could have and you know it, right? And Lucifer knows that, which why, although we might joke otherwise, I don't think he's responsible for this either. He has as many people to miss as you and I do. And he's been really good about the whole business with Lee, and that's a positive change that just won't go away. So yeah, I think his Father is trying to put one over on us for some reason."

"You really think I've been a good mother for my girls?" Maeve asked, giving him a small smile. "I mean, of course I've tried my best, but I've never been certain..."

"Of course I think you have," Dexter assured her. "I really do."

She smiled. "You've been so good through this whole crazy situation. So calm. I've always admired that about you, Dexter."

"Thanks," Dexter grinned and blushed a little. "But it's really not as easy as I might make it look. I mean, I just...I'm scared as hell of what Valerie could be doing or feeling without me. She can be a complete loose cannon, you know. Kind of like..."

"What are you two talking about?" Lucifer asked as Dexter trailed off in surprise.

"Oh, nothing," Dexter got out. "What's with the new look?"

Lucifer had changed. He wore a tie-dyed t-shirt and jeans and he was barefoot. He hadn't even tamed his hair. Something was wrong. What was going on here?

"What, this?" Lucifer looked down at his clothes. "I just thought I would relax a bit, have a more casual look. It might help me find the peace and harmony I've been looking for and I hope you both have it too." He then grinned and gave them a peace sign before continuing. "Maybe I should start growing my own vegetables, you know? Give back to the earth and all that. That's a good idea, don't you think? There's enough room for a garden out back. Where do we keep the shovels...?"

He went on his way, leaving Dexter and Maeve to share a worried glance. "Did that just happen?" She asked him. "Did you see what I saw? Was the boss wearing _jeans?_ And no shoes?"

"Yes," Dexter nodded. "Glad you saw it too. Something's gone wrong. Not being around Ellie is obviously getting to him."

"We should talk to him about it," Dexter said as they began running toward the backyard. "Or at least _someone_ should. If he doesn't go back to being the way he was, it could screw things up in ways we don't even know!"

When they finally reached him, Lucifer was digging in the dirt. "What are you doing?" Dexter asked. "Are you okay? You know, if you're missing Ellie, we can talk about it."

"Of course I'm missing Eleanor," Lucifer nodded. "But since I have no idea where she is or when I'll see her again, I have to find some other way to occupy my time and not think about what I don't have."

"That's true, but...I really don't think gardening is going to help you," Dexter told him. "It takes a lot of work and it's dirty and backbreaking and...you know you'll never stick with it. You know how easily you get bored."

"Welll how _else_ would you suggest I spend my time?" Lucifer snapped. "I thought you would be proud of me for doing something constructive and helpful rather than finding a woman who owes me a favor and then paying her to pretend she's Eleanor or something. I thought about that, but I knew I would never hear the end of it!"

"We'd be on more familiar ground if that's what you'd chosen to do," Maeve said. "In a way, it's good that you're trying something new. But it's not going to make you feel better, at least not permanently. You know what I think would help? Talking to someone. Sharing your feelings."

"You mean like...therapy?" Lucifer questioned. "No. I'm not going to go to some stranger's office for an hour a week and blab all my innermost feelings so I can be judged about how horrible I am. No thank you. I barely even tell _you_ my feelings. I'll just stick with my plants, thank you!" He paused as his eyes lit up. "Maybe I can get some wacky vegetables! It's been a while since I've been in orbit, if you know what I mean. Where do you think they sell those?" He shook his head. "Never mind, you don't have to answer that. I can find them if I want them."

"I still think you should see someone," Dexter told him firmly. "And that's exactly what you're going to do."

"Did you not hear me when I told you no strangers, no feelings, no sharing, no nothing?" Lucifer asked. "Were you _listening_?"

"It won't be a stranger!" Dexter promised him. "Amy used to work at helping screwed up people like yourself fix their lives. And you're comfortable around Amy, right? She's not a stranger, you can talk to her."

"Oh, that's very true," Lucifer admitted. "But good luck getting her husband to keep his nose out of that arrangement. The man is notoriously jealous!" He paused. "I mean, sure, Selina dated both him and Klaus and things like that, and Amy and Klaus began dating when she was working on _his_ problems, but even if that _wasn't_ the case, Elijah probably still would be jeaious because he's just the type. I've got several brothers like him, you know."

"We'll assure Elijah he has no reason to worry," Dexter said. "And if he doesn't know how committed you are to Ellie so there's no _need_ to worry about you and Amy being alone together for sessions. We'll do our best, anyway and I bet Amy will too." He paused. "So are you saying that you'll agree to talk to Amy about your problems?"

"Clearly I have to, don't I?" Lucifer said. "Since you don't have as much faith in the power of gardening and drugs as I do."

"You'll thank us later," Dexter said. "Trust me."

* * *

But as they surmised, putting the plan into action was a lot harder than when they were just talking about it.

After they left Lucifer to his garden, Dexter got in his car and went to Elijah and Amy's where, after being invited in and given some tea, he explained what was going on with Lucifer.

"I think he's completely lost his mind from missing Miss Ellie," he told Amy. "He's wearing casual clothing and wanting to garden and dull his pain with drugs when usually he just uses them recreationally! Anything else is not normal behavior for him! It's completely new territory! I don't even _know_ the last time he made a deal with someone. And he _loves_ doing that!" He paused. "I'm worried for him, Amy. I really am. Could you help him?"

"I could," Amy nodded. "And it might not be a bad idea for him to have someone to talk to. If he was just gardening and wearing casual clothes, I would tell you not to worry, but since he's told you outright that he plans on using drugs to forget his pain...we shouldn't ignore that." She paused. "Now that we've established that...would it actually do any good? Would he be willing to talk to me?"

"Yes," Dexter nodded. "We already talked to him about this and he said that if you were okay with it, he felt safe with you and would be willing to tell you things."

"Good," Amy grinned. "Good. If he's willing to talk, I'm willing to listen."

"You're a real lifesaver," Dexter told her. "Thank you. Because he has seriously turned into a hippie or Ghandi or something and although that might sound good in theory, it throws off the balance of things."

"Oh, definitely," Amy nodded. "I can see how it would."

* * *

With that decided, they got telling Elijah about it over with and of course he complained.

"No!" He shook his head. "Amy, I will not have you help that man! It's because of him that our daughter is gone from our lives! He shouldn't be rewarded for that! We don't know where she is or if she's okay, or if we'll ever see her again!"

"I know it's hard for you to deal with, but I've already told Dexter I would help," Amy replied. "He rightly said that it would be better for all of us if Lucifer stayed in his right mind." She paused and her eyes narrowed. "I'm only telling you as a courtesy," she reminded him. "I'm doing it whether you want me to or not because it's my choice."

"Oh, but do you remember what happened when Astrid asked you to counsel Klaus?" Elijah snapped. "That's another thing for me to worry about! I remember how Lucifer treats women!"

"That is an insult both to me and to Ellie," Amy shot back, her face becoming as red as the hair that framed it. "You remember Lucifer's _wife,_ right? The woman he loves more than anything? The reason why he's probably so messed up in the first place? He loves her so much that his eyes definitely would _not_ wander."

"Since she's not here they might," Elijah said. "Since he has no one to help him deal with his lust!"

"I don't think that's a problem," Dexter said. "How he's dealing with being without Ellie now is dressing in casual clothes and growing drug vegetables so he can get high. If he had wanted to get another woman to deal with his sexual frustration, he would have done that. But he didn't."

"See?" Amy pointed at Dexter. "Elijah, listen to what he's saying! Plus, if I help Lucifer get better, he might be able to bring us back to Lisa. If I don't, we'll probably just stay here forever. And I'm sure you don't want that."

"Actually we don't think it's Lucifer that brought us here," Dexter corrected as Elijah continued to scowl. "We're just as clueless about what's going on and where the children have gotten to as you are."

Elijah was still scowling and being difficult, so Amy turned away from him and grinned at Dexter. "I'll help," she said. "Just tell me when he wants to begin his therapy and I'll be at your house immediately."

"Thank you," Dexter told her and gave her a hug. "You have no idea the good you're doing."

"It's not a problem," Amy told him as they walked back to his car. "Would it be any trouble for me to come with you and see what I'm dealing with?"

"Sure," Dexter nodded and unlocked the passenger side door so she could get in and come back to the house with him. "But just to warn you, you might be shocked."

"Really?" Amy raised an eyebrow. "I've seen a lot over the years. Very little can shock me now."

"Oh, just you wait," Dexter told her as he started the car. "Just you wait."

* * *

"You didn't have to come and help me if you needed to study," Junior told Sarah. "I mean, thanks a lot for your help and all but I don't want to completely uproot your life."

"Oh, you're not uprooting anything," Sarah promised and then got up from her books to go give Emma a bath. "It really doesn't matter at all. I like babies."

"What's on the schedule now?" Junior asked.

"Bath time," Sarah replied. "You wanna take Lexie and I'll take Emma?"

"Okay," Junior nodded. They grabbed both girls and headed to the bathroom. Junior took off his shoes and shirt and filled the baby bath with warm water before gently washing Lexie off with soap.

Sarah watched all this happen while she waited with Emma. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Not just because he had really nice shoulders and rippling arm muscles. But because the sight of him giving a happy little baby a bath was just so... _cute._ "I can't wait for you to give me a bath," she muttered, not realizing it had come out of her mouth until Junior turned around, staring at her in surprise.

"Did I just hear you say you wanted me to give you a bath?" He asked.

"No, no!" Sarah backpedaled. "I said that it's been _awhile_ since I had a bath. This is reminding me that I need to take one." As she continued to back out of the bathroom, her bare foot slipped in a puddle of water (the girls both liked to splash, which did not make for a dry bathroom.) She fell on her bottom and then when she got up, she slipped _again,_ falling forward this time, with Junior reaching out to catch her with his free arm.

"Maybe you shouldn't have gone barefoot," he remarked. "It's slippery in here." They stared at each other, their lips practically touching, Sarah then absentmindedly ran her fingertips lightly over his muscular arms and chest as their breathing picked up.

"I remember this," Junior whispered as he moved some of Sarah's hair out of her beautiful brown eyes. "Do you?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "It's been a while, but I do." She paused. "Feels...feels good, doesn't it?"

Junior nodded as he cupped her face with his hands and tried to ignore the fact that this was eating him up inside. "Would I be a bad person if I said it did?"

"Not any worse than me," Sarah told him.

Just then, the mood was broken by Lexie splashing, and they quickly separated and went back to tending their respective twins, Lexie in the bath and Emma in her carrier, playing with a little stuffed bunny while she waited for her turn to be washed.

* * *

Even hours after Sarah had left, the guilt of what he was feeling was eating Junior alive. So he called Adrian to talk to him about it, even though his grandfather was not one for talking about feelings.

"You have a crush on Sarah again?" Adrian asked. "But what about Maeve? You could be going down a slippery slope! If you act out on your feelings, what will you tell Maeve when she comes back from wherever it is that she's gone?"

"I don't think I'm gonna tell her anything," Junior said. "What happened today with Sarah...I was caught in a weak moment. I love Maeve. She's the mother of two of my children! It started out so well between us..."

"...But her being gone and you spending all this time with Sarah has made you realize that your feelings for her have never entirely gone away, right?" Adrian guessed. "Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"Yes!" Junior cried. "I guess it is! But I can't tell her about my feelings! Even though I've changed, even though I'm better than I used to be, she did the right thing moving on. And Josh is good for her. He's a stand-up guy and he's treated her well. I can't ruin that! Even if...even if she wants me to! Do you know that when we were giving the twins a bath today, she asked me when it would be her turn for me to give her one? I swear I heard her say it, even though when I asked her about it, she pretended that she hadn't. And that's not all. There have been other things, too: She's at my house to help with the girls every day, even when I insist that she doesn't have to be. I'm grateful for the help, but...I can't ignore the glances she gives me when she thinks I'm not looking. And the compliments and the touching...you don't do that stuff if you don't feel something for someone! What the hell should I do?"

"Well, it should be obvious if you've changed as much as you say you have," Adrian told her. "You have to turn her down flat. Tell her that you intend to stay faithful to Maeve, remind her how good Josh is to her, and that anything that you both feel should not be acted on, especially since you're both lonely and vulnerable right now. Can you do that?" He paused. "Unless, of course. you want to jump into things with Sarah and risk messing with two families just to satisfy your lust for each other."

"Of course I don't want to do that!" Junior told him. "I like what I have with Maeve and I respect what she has with Josh. That's not gonna change. But she's gotten under my skin. I can't deny that. She always has been and she always will be. It's the most annoying thing in the world."

"I'm sorry, kid," Adrian told him. "I'm sorry. Kai and I were gonna go out and get a pizza and some beer, but now I'm thinking that you shouldn't be left alone. We'll come to you. What do you want on your half?"

"Sausage and green peppers," Junior said. "Thanks a lot. See you in a little bit."

"Yes, you will," Adrian assured him. "Yes, you will."

* * *

Things were not so idyllic at Lucifer and Ellie's. She still refused to leave her bed except to get food or something to soothe her aches and pains, and even though she was not so far gone that they were worried about her hurting Noah, she still only saw him for an hour or so a day.

The rest of the time, he was under Lisa's care, which was trying, despite her naturally motherly demeanor because it seemed as if his mother's mood had carried over to him. He was constantly fussy and needing to be fed, and then it would just all come out in amounts that shocked her and made her messy and disgusted, which was the worst thing that could have happened, what with Lee wandering through the house in his neat clothes and peeping in on her, thinking that she didn't notice.

One day, during a particularly endless crying jag, Lee visited her again. She groaned when he strode up to her. She was covered in poop and spit and she'd never felt so ugly in her life. Not saying anything about her appearance, he took Noah from her and miraculously, he stopped crying as she collapsed in the rocker by his crib, watching in astonishment as the normally sarcastic, rude Lee paced around and told him a story.

"I don't believe this," she said. "You're good with children!"

"Would you mind if I took the rocking chair?" He asked her. "Get up."

"All right," Lisa said and settled into it. "But you have to say please first."

"Fine," Lee rolled his eyes. "Please."

"Here you go," Lisa grinned and Lee sat down and rocked him as he and Lisa watched Noah fall asleep at last.

Once they were sure he wasn't going to wake up again, Lee moved Noah to his crib and then turned on Lisa. "All right, you need to shower now," he said. "You're a mess!"

"All right," Lisa grinned. "But there's something I have to do first!" Then, before he could move, she strode over to him, took his face in both hands, and kissed him hard.

When she finally pulled away, she was grinning widely at the disgusted look on Lee's face.

"What was that for?" He spat. "Will you stop kissing me every chance you get? You might have the hots for me and I don't blame you, but who says I feel the same way about you?"

This made Lisa step away from him, a deep frown on her face. "Don't flatter yourself," she said. "The kiss was just to thank you for finally getting Noah to sleep!" She then turned on her heel. "You're a mess too, you know. You got stuff all over you...your cheeks and your face. If you want me to take a shower, you should take one too."

Wondering what she meant, he asked her for a hand mirror, which she gave to him, a gleeful smile on her face as she walked away. He saw the mess on his cheeks and called after her, "You witch! You'll pay for this!"

But she just laughed and shut the bedroom door behind her.

* * *

Knowing that they shared the same bathroom, there was an unspoken agreement between the two of them that they would take turns. Lee took the first turn, and Lisa listened for when the water stopped and she could go in and take her own shower.

So she waited and she waited, and when she was sure that he had to be nearly finished, she grabbed her soap, shampoo, and towel and headed in there, and then undressed, planning to cover herself with a towel until it was time for her to wash. But just after she removed her underwear, that's when Lee stepped out of the shower.

They looked at one another in shock and immediately tried to get out of the bathroom and as far away from each other as possible. But it wasn't a big bathroom and there wasn't a lot of room to move around. In their rush, they bumped into one another and slipped on the shower water that soaked the black and white tile, with Lee falling first and then Lisa falling on top of him.

They stared at one another, their breathing heavy as the room suddenly seemed to get warmer. They moved their faces closer and closer until their lips just about touched and then Lisa cried out, "No! Are we nuts? We can't do this!"

"Damn right we can't," Lee concurred as they struggled to their feet, still slipping on the water a couple of times.

"Okay, we're fine, You close your eyes while I cover up" Lisa said, avoiding Lee's gaze as she grabbed her white fluffy towel, wrapped it around herself, and secured it. "And I'll close my eyes while you dress, then we can go on our own way and pretend this never happened."

"You're blushing," Lee told her. "It looks horrible with your hair. Like you have a bad sunburn."

"What did I tell you about closing your eyes?" Lisa said. She wasn't looking at him, but from the sound of his voice, she knew he was smirking.

"Don't snap at me!" Lee told her. "Be grateful that I'm just looking above the neck and not..." His eyes swept her, easily able to ascertain what her body looked like under the towel. "And not elsewhere." Then, still dripping wet and naked, he pulled her to him in such a way that the towel she wore came undone and fell to her feet. He ran his hands all over her body until he finally brought them to rest on her firm bottom.

"How can I not look at you when you're so beautiful?" He asked her. "Especially your backside?"

"You...you...you pig!" Lisa snapped, pounding on his chest with both of her fists. "You let me go so I can get my towel back on and leave with some dignity! And you're still gross, by the way!"

"I didn't know you had any dignity left," Lee told her, not offended by her anger at all. "And you can leave, of course you can. But I'm surprised there's no kiss goodbye for me." He was grinning widely now.

"Oh, stop playing with me!" Lisa demanded. "I don't like it!"

"And you don't think I know you're doing the same with me?" Lee asked. "Making this plan to come in before I finished my shower and see me naked? If that's what you wanted, you could have just asked instead of sneaking around like a fool and humiliating yourself!"

"Oh, like you didn't bump into me naked either!" Lisa hissed. "And you enjoyed every minute of it, don't deny that."

"I enjoyed it just as much as you did," Lee told her, his dark eyes sparkling.

"Oh, shut up!" Lisa yelled, getting right up in his face.

" _You_ shut up!" Lee shot back.

She started to give him a slap, but then he grabbed her, pulled her to him, and kissed her. She pulled away, stared at him, and then grabbed him and kissed him again, her hands running over his body as he held her tight against him, and this time, thank goodness, the towel stayed where it was supposed to. Then, Lee began to walk backwards, trying to get Lisa out the door so he could take her to his room.

"Wait a minute," she said, breaking the kiss. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I thought it wouldn't hurt to finish what we started in my bedroom," he told her. "Would you like me to get you a drink first?"

"No, I would not!" Lisa spat. "Keep your hands off me!"

"Fine!" Lee told her. "I know you're lying, but fine! All I have to do is wait and you'll show up!"

"Shows what you know!" Lisa told him. "Now get out so I can take my shower!"

"Fine," Lee told her. "I used all the hot water."

"Fine!" Lisa told him. "I don't care!"

Then he left and slammed the door behind him as Lisa took a deep breath and turned the shower on, hoping it would make the aching in her head subside.


	6. Something Stupid Like I Love You

"I have to say," Amy told Lucifer as he came into his office and groaned at the sight of her sitting in his desk chair, "I'm very proud of you for doing this. I know it's not easy for you." She'd been shocked when she and Dexter had first arrived at his house and he'd been in his more casual attire (especially the bare feet!) but now that he was his usual clothes, everything seemed more right with the world.

"Damn right it's not," Lucifer replied as he sat down on the sofa. "How do we do this now?"

"Well, that all depends on you," she said. "You can just talk to me. How's your garden going?"

"I wasn't serious about it at first, but now I'm keeping it going just to spite Dexter because he said I couldn't," Lucifer told her.

"Well, that's as good a reason as any, I suppose," Amy replied. "And is it...is it helping you cope with Ellie's loss the way you wanted?"

"Oh, don't you call it a loss!" Lucifer commanded. "She's not dead! She hasn't left me! I just...don't know where she is at the moment." He paused. "Do you think...do you think she misses me?"

"I'm sure she does," Amy nodded. "I wouldn't doubt it. And I bet she'll be very happy to see you when we figure out how to reunite you."

Lucifer smiled. "I thought about cashing in one of my favors and having a woman pretend to be her, but that would technically be cheating and I don't want that." He got up and came to stand behind her. "You...wouldn't be able to use your magic to make an Eleanor double, would you? I heard you can."

"If you're gonna use the double for romantic purposes, it's a terrible idea and I won't do it," Amy said. "It'll be more trouble than it's worth. Trust me."

"Why not?" Lucifer asked.

"Because doubles are just basically like regular people," Amy explained. "They aren't like robots. You use them to get affection and they _will_ become attached to you, which means that when Ellie comes back, her double will cause a problem." She paused. "Kind of like Lonely Heart Selina and I'm pretty sure you don't want a repeat of that, do you?"

"Oh, _DAD_ no," Lucifer scoffed. "Once was enough, thank you. And since you put it that way, no doubles. I shall just suffer in silence." He paused. "Well, not in silence, but I'll get along well enough."

"Good, I'm glad I made my point," Amy grinned. "I have to say, I'm proud of you for trying to find a constructive way to pass the time."

"But then why are we here talking about this if what I'm doing is so good?" Lucifer asked.

"It's the drug thing," Amy sighed. "Gardening is good, drugs are not. At least not the kind you're thinking about."

"On the contrary, I find them very helpful and exciting," Lucifer grinned. "Have you ever had any?"

"No," Amy shook her head. "Can't say I have. I don't intend to, either. It's counterproductive. It accomplishes nothing."

"Well, not _everything_ has to accomplish something," Lucifer pointed out. "Some things can be just for fun!"

"I'm worried about the kind of fun you like to have, frankly," Amy told him. "What if in the end, it ends up causing problems between you and Ellie when you _do_ reunite? What if it just makes things worse?"

"It won't!" Lucifer assured her. "I can stop any time I want to!"

Amy sighed. This was gonna be harder than she thought. Not that she didn't understand why, but _still_. "How about, instead of delving into drugs, we give you a way to see Ellie on a daily basis? That would be better, wouldn't it?"

She did a spell to try and make contact with Ellie through the TV, but nothing came up, which was a surprise to Amy, but not to Lucifer.

" _I_ can make contact with her that way," he said. "If that was at all possible, don't you think I would have done it by now?"

"Well, I should hope so," Amy told him. "I just wanted to go through all the easy options myself to see where we're really at."

"Now that you know there _are_ no easy options, what do we do?" Lucifer sighed. "Talk about my feelings until one day, a miracle happens and Eleanor shows up on my doorstep? I don't like that!"

"Why not?" Amy asked. "Why is it so hard for you to be patient? If, as you say, you think your dad has something to do with this, don't you think Ellie will be back to you eventually?"

"I want to believe that because He suggested Eleanor for me special and I don't know why he'd do that, only to take her away again," Lucifer replied. "But then again, He has a history of screwing me over repeatedly, so I don't think I should necessarily be surprised at this turn of events."

"Giving up control of a situation and just trusting that things will work out really isn't something you like, is it?" Amy asked.

"No!" Lucifer shook his head. "Not really! Doing things yourself instead of waiting for them to get done by others is the best way to make sure things get done right!"

"This is good, we're having a breakthrough!" Amy said. "I mean, it's obvious how badly you want to get Ellie back."

"Yes, it should be," Lucifer nodded. "Can you help me or not?"

"I'll do anything I can," Amy told him. "You know that. But I don't think I'll be able to do what you want. I don't think my powers can undo what your Father's done."

"Damn. that means I have to wait and I don't like waiting!" Lucifer growled, his eyes going red as he began to pace around the room.

"But you've found ways to pass the time," Amy reminded him. "The garden, and of course you can work your way through all the books in the library. That'll take time."

"I've never been much of a reader," Lucifer shook his head. "That's more Eleanor's thing than mine."

"All right," Amy conceded. "I should have realized that. What do you say we leave the house? See how the club or your office are doing? If you could do things there, would that make you feel better?"

"Yes, I suppose," Lucifer admitted and stood up. "But the club more than the office. Eleanor works with me at the office and without her there, it would be a bit lonely, wouldn't it?"

"Of course," Amy agreed. "So get up. We're going to the club!"

"Oh, but you should change first," Lucifer suggested as he eyed Amy's suit. It was the sort of thing Angelica used to wear before her sister helped her realize that work clothes didn't have to be boring. "Everyone will eat you alive if you go to the Underground dressed like _that._ "

Amy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "What do you suggest?"

"I have many suggestions," Lucifer grinned. "Follow me!"

So they went to his and Ellie's bedroom and he was hit by some melancholy when he realized that her clothes were still in her side of the closet, even though she wasn't around. He picked out a blue mini dress and handed it to Amy. "This'll do," he said. "I'm sure that with your magic, you can adjust it accordingly?"

"Yes," Amy nodded. "I can."

"Good," Lucifer said. "Once you've got that on, we'll work on accessories."

* * *

The dress fit well, and once Amy had been properly accessorized, they said 'Goodbye' to Maeve and Dexter, who were both very relieved, and set off for the Underground. Lucifer was curious to see what it was like now and hoped that it hadn't changed much. And when they reached it, it seemed like it hadn't been touched.

But then they went inside and Lucifer approached the bar. There was no one working it. How in the world were people getting drinks? Had things suddenly become total anarchy?

He turned off the music, much to everyone's displeasure, and then told them all, "All right, everyone, shut up! Yes, I know I've turned off the music, but it'll be back on again once I find out how the hell a person gets a drink around here!"

There was a silence and then a young man in torn jeans and a KISS t-shirt separated from the crowd and bounded behind the bar. "I can get you something," he said and deftly got out a glass. "What do you want?"

"Before I tell you," Lucifer replied, "I have to ask, do you work here?"

"No," The young man shook his head. "No one really works the bar. Whenever someone wants a drink, they just help themselves."

"That's a terrible business model," Lucifer said. "How can I expect to make any money if no one pays for anything and just takes what they want?"

"Money is the root of all evil," the young man responded. "What kind of world do we live in where all people care about is profit?"

"Okay, another announcement!" Lucifer called after fighting his way to the stage once again. "It seems like my business has turned into a free-for-all. But no more! Now everyone's paying for their drinks! I don't care if you don't like it! It's the only way this place'll stay afloat!"

Even as the music started again, Lucifer heard the angry muttering that had broken out, and even words like "loser", "sellout", and "square".

"Can you believe they're talking about _me_ using those words?" Lucifer questioned Amy, who was happily drinking a daquiri at the bar. "I'm not a square!"

"Well, can you blame people for thinking you are when they're used to getting whatever they want and then all of a sudden, here you are making them have rules?" Amy questioned and then took a swig of her drink. "I don't."

"I want to get out of here!" Lucifer said as he felt panic over take him. "I don't like this place, Amy. I want to get out! Get me out, Amy! Get me out!"

"Okay, breathe, breathe!" Amy said. "What's the problem?"

"Father's ruining everything!" Lucifer told her. "He's done everything all _wrong_ here! Once again, I'm the bad guy! When things are normal, I'm bad because I advocate for free will, and _here_ , wherever it is, I'm the bad man because I want order. I just...I can't win. I can't." He began making his way toward the club entrance. "I'm going. You can zap yourself home, right?"

"Do you want me to come with you?" Amy asked, catching up to him, her drink still in her hand.

"No, you're having fun and I am not going to stop you from doing that because I am _not_ a square!" Lucifer told her. "Good day, Amy!"

"I'll be at your house same time tomorrow," she assured him. "I think, from the looks of things, we still have _a lot_ to talk about."

* * *

"Okay, Mom," Angelica told Ellie as she and Sam barged into Ellie's room. "I know you might hate us for this but I really think you should try getting out of bed today-" She paused when she saw she'd already been beaten to the punch.

"I thought so too," Ellie replied as she came out of the bathroom. She was wearing yoga pants and a purple t-shirt and her hair was up in a messy bun. "I thought I could use a change of scenery. I'm gonna go back to the music room. I know that's not much of a change, but..."

"No, good for you!" Angelica encouraged. "Then maybe we could take you out to lunch? Or bring lunch and eat it with you here?"

"I would like that," Ellie agreed. "Thanks, you two!" She then made her way to the music room, anger flaring up when she heard music playing. Someone had already invaded her special space! and when she marched in there to kick the intruder out, she was even more horrified: Lee was in there, on the piano bench, holding her son. the music coming from a small radio nearby.

"Get your hands off my son!" She cried and, in a few long strides, was beside him, picking Noah up quick and settling down with him in one of the chairs. "What have you been doing with him? Who gave you permission?"

"No one," Lee said, not wanting to throw Lisa under the bus. "But I thought that nothing would make you stop ignoring him like knowing I was taking care of him!"

"I wasn't ignoring him!" Ellie defended herself. "I know I wasn't with him as much as I ought to be since I'm his mother, but...I still saw him every day."

"True," Lee agreed. "But did you want to be in bed and miserable forever? Didn't you want to be done with feeling like that at some point?"

"Well, of course," Ellie nodded. "The only reason why I didn't was because I had no idea how to! I love my children and I would _never_ abandon them!"

"Somehow I know that," Lee assured her. "Which is why I knew I had to help you get back to normal."

"Thank you," Ellie told him. "And I'm...I'm sorry if I've been harsh since you arrived. I have issues."

"I understand," Lee told her. "But I hope this means we've reached some sort of peace from now on?"

"Sure," Ellie nodded as she cuddled Noah. "All right."

"Good," Lee said. "Now that you seem to be all right, I'll leave you in peace." He left the music room and Ellie looked down at Noah, who stared back with a steady dark gaze.

"I don't know where your father is," she said. "But I'm sure he'll come back someday. And something tells me that when you get bigger, you're gonna be just like him. Some people might consider that a bad thing, but I don't." She kissed him gently. "I'm sorry you haven't seen so much of me lately. But Lisa's been taking very good care of you, hasn't she? I hope you've behaved yourself and haven't caused too much trouble!"

"Oh, here he is!" Lisa cried as she poked her head in the music room, her hand on her chest. "I just...he wasn't in his room and I had no idea where he'd gone!"

"It's okay, Lisa," Ellie assured her. "Lee had him in here. We talked and he handed him over."

"Of course Lee would bring him in here without telling me first, that jerk!" Lisa muttered.

"I'm sorry you were worried," Ellie told her. "And...thanks for watching him while I wasn't doing well. It was a lot of work, I know. You deserve a good, long break. Heck, you could even go home if you wanted to. I'm good now."

"You _seem_ better," Lisa agreed. "But I think I might stay around. It's not like there's anyone at home for me to talk to anyway."

"I promise you that you don't need to stay and look after me!" Ellie told her, feeling offended. "I'm better now! How many different ways can I say it?"

"I think you and I both know you won't truly be all right until Lucifer comes back," Lisa pointed out. "This was a really nasty episode and we want to make sure you don't have any other ones."

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "Are you and Angelica conspiring together to babysit me like I'm a child? I'm not! I am _okay!"_

And with that, she stormed out of the music room, Noah tight in her arms, as she searched for her younger daughter.

It didn't take her long to find her: she was standing patiently by the front door. "So," she smiled. "Are we going out or ordering in? If it's ordering in, Sammy really wants pizza."

"Don't you look at me all smug like that!" Ellie told her, eyes narrowed. "What plot do you and Lisa have going on? Am I going to be trapped in this house forever? _I_ am the parent and _you_ are the children and I _don't_ have to do what you say!"

"We know that!" Angelica assured her. "We aren't going to try and control your life. You can do what you want. We just...we know that with Dad being gone, you lost some support, so we just want to make sure you know people are gonna be there for you until he comes back, that's all. That you have someone to talk to if you need it. Lisa's really good at that stuff."

"All right," Ellie took a deep breath. "I suppose it would be nice to have someone to talk to. Or at least to give me hugs. I know this is a stupid thing to say but I never really realized how much physical contact your father and I had every day until he disappeared."

"I know," Angelica told her, and then Sammy, who had just come in to check on what meal plans would be, took Noah in his arms so that Angelica could give her a hug.

"Is that good?" She asked when they separated.

"Yeah," Ellie nodded, giving her daughter a smile. "It was. I really needed that. Now, I promised I'd watch Noah so she has a bit of a break so we'll have to order in. Pizza sounds great. I'll have pepperoni on my half, please."

"Sure," Sammy nodded and called in the order after handing Noah back to his mother. "No problem."

* * *

The next time Sarah called to ask whether he wanted her to come over or not, Junior tried to refuse her so that they would not be that close again, or even worse, end up doing something they could never take back.

"You don't have to come, even though you're very sweet to ask," he told her. "I'm fine, I promise."

"You're fibbing, I can hear it in your voice. You need my help. I'm coming over," Sarah decided. "No arguments."

He tried to make some when she showed up at his door in tight jeans and a tank top, but she just ignored him "Do you think I should try making friends with Lexie today? I'll do that."

"Fine," Junior sighed. "Don't think it'll work, though."

He was right. Lexie fought her every minute, and to Junior's surprise, Emma did the same with him. They didn't eat readily, and they also refused to take their naps.

" _I'm_ the one who'll need to sleep after this," Junior sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Tell me about it," Sarah agreed. "I might just sleep with you."

"Wait a minute," Junior told her. "When you say, 'Sleep with me', you mean..."

"In the same bed!" Sarah got out. "But with clothes on. Were you thinking I meant the other way? Sean!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know that's terrible," Junior replied. "You're married and I'm married and just because Maeve has disappeared and Josh is gone at that camp where demons are reformed...just because he's gone, that doesn't give us permission to give into whatever it is that we're feeling."

"Right," Sarah nodded. "Of course we won't do that." They then went back to dealing with the girls, finally deciding to just make things easy, with each one of them dealing with the twin they actually got along with. And with that, the girls finally ate and when they were down for their naps, Junior and Sarah left their rooms, heading to the living room.

"Movie?" Sarah suggested. "I'll make the popcorn."

"Sure," Junior nodded. "Okay."

So Sarah made the popcorn and then they both settled down on the sofa to watch _His Girl Friday_. But they never finished it, falling asleep about five minutes in, the bowl of popcorn falling from Sarah's lap and landing upside down on the floor, popcorn everywhere.

When they woke up again, the movie was over, they were half-awake and staring at the credits while trying to untangle themselves from a very awkward position: During sleep, gravity seemed to have made Sarah fall so that her head ended up on Junior's chest, and then her skirt had hiked up her leg a bit, and her arms were around his waist. Half awake, she even kissed him briefly and that's what brought them both to their senses.

"You mind letting me go?" He asked. "I mean, you don't have to, but I think that maybe..."

"No, no, you're right," Sarah nodded, letting him go and sitting up. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I swear I don't know how we ended up like that!" But she had her suspicions: It could have been from unconsciously acting out the dream she'd been having where she'd been in much the same position in a bed, and she and Junior had both been naked. But there was no way she was telling him _that_ part.

"It's okay," Junior assured her as he began picking up the popcorn. "It's fine. No trouble at all."

"Let me get the vacuum," Sarah offered. "It'll take forever if you pick it all up by hand."

"Sure," Junior nodded, then took to dusting so he wouldn't stare at Sarah's butt while she worked the vacuum.

"This is a bit big for me to handle on my own," she said after a few minutes of struggling with the machine. "Will you help me?"

"Sure," Junior nodded. "How do I do that?"

"Just hold onto my waist to make sure I don't fall over," Sarah told him. "It's not hard."

But _he_ soon was, because his fly was against her bottom since he had to hold her so close and with every back and forth moment of the vacuum, he felt throbbing. But Sarah didn't stop vacuuming until she realized he was nibbling on her neck. Then she turned the vacuum off and stepped away.

"Sorry," he apologized as she gave him a look. But she shook her head, being just as flushed as he was.

"No need to be sorry," she said. "It was my fault. I wasn't thinking. Let's all calm down and we can do the rest of this later."

After they vacuumed up the living room, the girls woke up and they decided to take them to the zoo, where they could focus on showing Emma and Lexie the animals, and not think about their growing feelings for each other. Cause they both knew that was a bad path to go down. A very, _very_ bad path.

* * *

After a few weeks of going, Gwen began to feel comfortable at church and took every bit of advice Father Richard gave her about how to have a good relationship with the Lord and did the opposite. She even put salt by all the windows and doors to stop Him from getting in. And for a while, it seemed that it worked. No more gifts came or anything.

But it was quite a shock when she came back from the movies one day to find a man with salt and pepper hair and blue eyes, wearing jeans and a navy polo lounging on her sofa as if he belonged there.

"Oh, my god!" She cried without thinking, grabbing the mace from her purse and pointing it at him. "Who are you? How did you get into my house?"

"I'm sorry if I startled you," He apologized and got to his feet, coming over and gently lowering the hand that held the mace to her side. "I didn't mean to, my dear. I was under the impression that you would know I was coming." He turned his head toward the table where the vases of flowers still sat. "I see you got my flowers. I hope you like them."

"I...sure," Gwen nodded, not knowing what else to say, and extremely perturbed that the salt hadn't worked. But then again, he was God and not some sort of demon, so she should have figured. "I love flowers. Sorry if I don't seem very enthusiastic or grateful. It's just...I'm not used to being treated like this. I've spent a lot of time on my own or with men who weren't exactly givers." She paused. "But you know that, don't you? Cause you know everything. That's what Father Richard is always telling me, anyway."

"Interesting that you decided to go to church," He observed. "Why is that? You've never been the type."

"Well, cause I thought that one of the reasons you were so intent on getting near me was because you found out I was involved with two men before and you wanted to send me to Hell for it," Gwen mumbled, avoiding his eyes and feeling like the dumbest person in the world. "So I thought if I went to church, when you came for me, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on."

"I admit that after Samael's rebellion, his mother and I had a bit of a falling out and I might have sent _her_ to Hell," He confessed. "It wasn't my proudest moment, but I promise nothing similar will happen to you."

"No offense, but that doesn't really make me feel better," Gwen told him. "And what should I call you, anyway? It will make this a lot less difficult if I have a name to call you."

"Well, the man whose body I've borrowed is named Steve," He said. "How about that?"

Gwen shrugged. "All right, _Steve_. That's as good as anything else, i suppose." She paused and then sat down. "So since you're not here to send me to Hell, what is it that you want with me?"

"I think it should be obvious," He told her. "It's not like I'm being sneaky or tricking you. I've been pretty up front."

"So you sent me all those flowers because you... _like_ me." Gwen stared at him, one eyebrow hiked up to her hairline. "Sorry. I just...it's a lot to take in."

"Oh, I know," He nodded. "I get it. I understand."

"And what am I supposed to tell the rest of your family if we go through with all this?" Gwen got out. "I don't want to make a bunch of trouble! Cause from what I've heard at church, when trouble happens with your family, it _really_ happens."

"And what can I do to ease your mind about that?" He asked. "Is Angelica making you worry? Because I'm _sure_ she would be more than happy to come here and talk things out!"

"Oh, no, you don't need to-" Gwen began, but it was basically useless, as a very confused and somewhat irate Angelica soon strode through the door of Gwen's house.

"What am I doing here?" She got out. "I don't even remember-" Then she broke off. "Oh, right, Grandpa. What's going on? I know you said trust you, but what are you sending flowers to Gwen for? I didn't even know you could like people that way! And don't I have a grandma already?"

"You do, but he banished her to Hell, so..." Gwen supplied.

"Oh, thanks," Angelica told her. "Didn't know that. You'd think that Dad would have said something, but...no."

They all sat in awkward silence for a few minutes that seemed like an eternity before Angelica finally spoke. "So," she said to her grandfather, "What do you need me for? Why am I here?" She paused. "If it's to help you and Gwen get together, don't you think that's asking a bit much?"

"Why is it?" Her grandfather questioned. "She's worried that it could lead to a lot of trouble and I...you can tell her there's nothing to worry about, can't you?"

"No, I can't. Because I don't know that for sure, and isn't there a rule you have about lying?" Angelica asked.

"Well, of course it's not right, but it's perjury rather than just plain lying that really gets you in trouble," her grandfather clarified. "And you aren't even lying anyway. You're ignorant of what will truly happen between Gwen and I and being ignorant won't get you in trouble at all. You're just easing her mind a bit."

"That's sure convenient," Angelica said, her eyes narrowed. "You know, I don't even think _Dad_ would lie and what does that say?" She then locked eyes with Gwen. "You are gonna be in for a lot if you enter into a relationship with Him," she said. "Things might happen that aren't pretty, but since I've also experienced his nice, pleasant side, I can't say it'll all be bad, either. So be on your guard, but know that good things can happen too. You can handle that, right?"

"See?" Her grandfather asked, grinning, his blue eyes bright. "Now was that so hard?"

"I don't think I can handle this," Angelica said. Her heart rate was picking up and she was getting short of breath. "I can't. It's too much." She paused and gave her grandfather a look. "Oh, and speaking of Dad, one more thing to ask before I go: what the heck did you do with him? Him being gone made Mom _slothful_! It was horrifying to watch! Dad's not gonna be gone forever, is he? Cause it's kind of terrible of you to put them together and promise Dad happiness forever and then just take her away."

"I realize that your mother has had some difficulties and you can assure her that she and your father will not be separated forever. Just until...until certain things have happened and they haven't yet," her grandfather assured her.

"What things?" Angelica asked and then breathed into her empty purse. " _What things?"_

"Trust me," He told her simply, and then asked, "You wouldn't happen to know any good restaurants around here, would you my dear?"

Angelica rolled her eyes and made her way to the door. "I would say 'God help me' but we all know that won't do much good, will it?" She groaned. "I'm sure you can find places on the internet. I don't want to have any more of a part in your attempt to play 'Love Connection'. I'm sorry if that's a disappointment to you, but it's just too weird for me! Okay, leaving now. Bye!" She left and slammed the door behind her, then headed to the Underground where, of course, she took advantage of the fact that she didn't have to pay for drinks anymore, to the point where, after she was done, Sammy, who was doing most of the drink making (he'd gotten the position once he'd promised not to charge, as per the new rules) had to drive her home and put her to bed, wondering just what it had been that had made her so worked up, since she was far too wasted to tell him.


	7. Angel Of The Morning

Of course Sarah's feelings for Junior (which she had been able to neatly repress for so many years) were eating her up as much as they were Junior himself, and now she couldn't make them go away. Not when she was studying or at class or at work. They were always there, gnawing away at her.

So she was _incredibly_ pleased when she heard that Ellie had recovered from her misery, and immediately accepted her invitation to come over and have lunch. It would give her mind somewhere else to go, hopefully.

But the second Ellie opened the door to her knock, her daughter asked, "What's the matter with you, Mom? You okay?"

"Yes," Sarah nodded, pasting a smile on her face as she made her way inside and took a seat at the table. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" She said this in spite of the fact that she was continually rubbing her hands, a very noticeable thing. "Totally fine. So glad to hear you're better!"

"Are you sure?" Ellie pressed. "You looked like you had something painful stuck in your shoe when I opened the door and now...now you can't keep your hands still!"

"It's your father!" Sarah blurted out before she could stop herself. Then she thought, Oh, well, maybe this wasn't such a bad thing. Now she wouldn't have to suffer alone.

"What's Josh done?" Ellie asked as Annabelle and some of the other servants came in with appetizers. "I thought he was away helping at demon reform camp."

"Not Josh, he's fine," Sarah shook her head. "Never had a problem with him. It's the other one."

"Sean?" Ellie frowned. "What's the trouble? Is it something to do with the twins? Cause I can help with that. It's not like I have work to go to or anything." She paused and continued, her voice thoughtful. "Well, I don't actually know that. I _could_ be needed at work, but no one's called and it would be too lonely without Lucifer there so I think I'll just stay home and look after Noah."

"That's perfect because Junior already has help with the twins," Sarah said. "Me!"

"What?" Ellie's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. " _Seriously_? What inspired this generosity?" She narrowed her eyes. "Should I be worried? Are things going on between you two now that Josh and Maeve are gone?"

"What?" Sarah giggled nervously. "Of course not! What would make you say that? I'm just helping Junior because it's the right thing to do and I have the time since your dad is gone for work." She knew that sounded fake, she knew her daughter, who spent a lot of her time around sinful people wasn't gonna see past the lie...but she hoped she would.

"Mom," Ellie continued to look at Sarah with concern. "You know that if things are going bad between you and Dad...if he's mistreated you, you can tell me, right? I'm here to listen, not to judge."

" _That's_ what you're worried about?" Sarah let out a breath. "No, no! Your dad is fine! He's perfect! _Nothing_ bad is happening between us."

"Perfect?" Ellie asked, her eyebrows going into her hair.

"You know what?" Sarah said. "This is a bad idea. I thought I could come over here and talk to you about a problem I'm having, but now that I've had time to think it over, I just...maybe I shouldn't. It was a bad idea." She grabbed a few appetizers off the plate, stuffed them in her mouth, and made her way to the door.

"What?" Ellie asked, feeling very confused by her mother's sudden change in mood and running after her to get to the bottom of it. "I don't want you to leave here until you tell me what's going on with you and Dad. If there's some problem between you two, I want to help you fix it."

"That's sweet," Sarah told her, and put a hand on her face. "You're always so good about helping people, but really, you're not the right person to help me deal with what I'm going through. It's the sort of thing that a parent shouldn't put on a child's shoulders. Not ever, and especially when you've already got so much to worry about. I can manage. I promise. I'll find someone else to confess to."

"Confess _what_?" Ellie asked.

"Never mind," Sarah told her, realizing too late that what she was saying was doing a better job of drawing Ellie _into_ the problem then keeping her out of it. "Please just trust me, okay? Goodbye."

But just as she was about to go, Gwen's voice called out, "Angelica, are you here? I have something I need to speak to you about!"

"No, she's working right now!" Ellie called back. "Anything I can help you with, Gwen?" She kept her grip on Sarah at the same time. There was no way she was letting her mother leave until they all got to the bottom of what she was trying to hide.

"Well, I suppose you could," Gwen said when she finally reached them. "Even though you might have less contact with a certain Lord Almighty than Angelica does, you've still...met him, right?"

"Of course," Ellie nodded. "Why don't we get more comfortable before we talk about this? Come to the living room, would you?"

"Well, how nice of you," Gwen grinned. "I would love that."

As they sat down, she was all prepared to tell them every detail of what had happened between her and "Steve", but then she saw the looks on their faces and realized that it wasn't the time.

"You both seem down," she said, taking both of their hands in hers. "You know what would help with that? Praying! Who wants to start?"

Ellie and Sarah heard this and just stared at one another, completely dumbstruck. "What do you think is wrong with her?" Sarah asked Ellie in a stagy whisper.

"I don't know," Ellie replied. "I have some suspicions, but I can't say anything for sure!" She paused. "Let's just play along for now."

So they prayed, promised Gwen they would tell Angelica she stopped by, and then once she was gone, Ellie tried to get more out of Sarah, but her mother didn't let anything else slip out. Anything else that actually _meant_ anything, anyway.

"There's nothing you need to worry about," Sarah insisted as she made her way out the door. "Just because I've been helping your father with the twins and spending more time alone with him than I have in a while...that doesn't mean anything bad. I swear, you're getting as paranoid and antsy as Angelica and it's really not good for you!" Then she left, slamming the door behind her as Ellie wondered just what was going on between Junior and her that she wanted to keep a secret.

* * *

"You look sick and full of shame!" Kai grinned and pulled Junior into Adrian's house. "Come and have some pizza and a drink. It'll be good for you!" Then Junior got even _more_ red when he shouted, "Hey Adrian! I think Don Juan is here for a second pep talk!"

But of course it was something Junior wanted to avoid for as long as possible, so he sat down and shoveled what was left of the pizza into his mouth until he choked and after Adrian whacked him on the back, he said, "All right, kid: what's going on? What's happened now?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Junior burst out. "There was popcorn everywhere and Sarah needed help with the vacuum and so we were all close together and the back and forth back and forth..shit!" He had to stop talking now. Reliving it was getting him going all over again.

Kai and Adrian just looked at each other and burst out laughing. "You were turned on by a vacuum?" Kai asked. "Oh, well, to each his own."

"Not the _vacuum!_ " Junior corrected. "I was stuck rubbing up against Sarah and the vacuum was going...stop making me talk about it! And stop enjoying my suffering!" He knew he was bright red, so he excused himself and headed to the kitchen for some ice water, but where he would pour it still needed to be decided.

When he came back to the living room, his head was soaked, his pants were soaked from where he poured the water down them too, and he was shivering.

"You look like you just wet yourself," Kai remarked. "If you needed to cool down that much...man, man, man, you are _toast!_ "

"I am _not_ toast!" Junior protested, sitting down hard and putting his head in his hands. "But Sarah is just so _sexy,_ and I...I had completely forgotten what sort of effect she has on me before, but now...now...it's all come back!"

"Like I said," Kai repeated with a smirk and then handed him the last piece of pizza. "You're toast."

"Yeah," Junior groaned. "Maybe I am."

"You are _not_!" Adrian told him. "You have two options, and the best one is to stop seeing Sarah. Go cold turkey, cut yourself off from her completely: No more help from her taking care of the twins, giving them baths and trips to the zoo, no more vacuuming and movies and popcorn...none of that!"

Junior sat up and stared at him. "That's..I don't like it. What's the other option?"

"You two give into each other, have sex, and then never speak of it ever again," Kai supplied. "That would be a good idea for you, I think. It would get rid of all the stress and tension that you're feeling!"

"I like that idea _much_ better!" Junior smiled at Kai. "Did anyone ever tell you that you give very good advice?"

"No," Kai shook his head and grinned, his dark eyes bright. "But I guess there's a first time for everything, isn't there."

They then got up and went to the kitchen for more food while Adrian stayed on the couch, muttering to himself. "Number one is the better option, but of course, no one listens to me...what do I know? I'm just trying to help, but why would anyone want to listen to me?..."

* * *

Sarah thought that talking to someone would help ease her frustration, but...it didn't. If the dream she'd had before waking up wrapped in Junior on the sofa had been bad, the dreams she had following her decision to confess to Ellie were even worse. (Or better, depending on how you looked at it, especially the one involving naked Junior and whipped cream or the one where she went to ride one of her father's horses and ended up riding _him_ hard instead.

It all became too much. And there was one way to fix it. Only one way. She had to go to Sean's house and tell him that it was all over. There was nothing else to be done about it. She just hoped he took it well.

* * *

"I was just about to call you," Junior told her, his tone surprised and even a little relieved when he answered the knock and saw her on the other side of the door. "We need to have a talk about you helping me with the twins. Come in, please."

"It has to stop," Sarah told him as they made their way to his living room. "Josh is gonna be back in a couple of days, you know."

"Right, good," Junior agreed. "What perfect timing. And I agree with you. I'm grateful for the help you've given me, but...it needs to end." He had been all about option two when Kai had proposed it, but he was really trying hard to do option one.

"Before I leave for good, can I say goodbye to the twins?" Sarah questioned. "Please?"

"I'm sorry, but...I sent them to my parents tonight," he told her, unconsciously stepping close to her as he spoke. "You and I are alone here."

Sarah stepped back, a squeak escaping her lips, her dark eyes wide, almost terrified at what she was feeling now that she knew there was no one around to stop what could happen between them if they let it. "Well, when they return, give them a kiss for me, will you?"

"Yeah," Junior nodded. "Of course, no problem!"

Sarah nodded and was about to head back to her car when her stomach rumbled loudly.

"What was that?" Junior asked. "Was that your stomach? When did you eat last?"

"Longer ago than I thought, apparently," Sarah remarked without looking at him. "I'll grab a burger or something on my way home. It's not a problem."

There was a silence and then Junior reached out to grab Sarah's hand. "You know, I made up a meat and cheese lasagna for dinner. It's one of those ones that's big enough to feed an army. Since you're hungry, why don't you share it with me? It can be a 'Thank you' dinner."

Sarah turned and gave him a smile that made his knees weak. "I...it's not good manners to turn down an invitation to dinner," she got out. "And it's nice of you to want to thank me, so...sure, I'll eat with you. But that's it. Once the lasagna is gone, I'm heading back home."

"Of course," Junior nodded as she slipped her purse back on the coat rack and led him into the kitchen, feeling his eyes on her butt. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

As he got the lasagna out of the oven, she set the table. It was nice to eat at a table. She usually ate in front of the TV with her textbooks at her side. But this was so much more civilized and Junior had surprisingly nice dishes.

"You know, you set a very nice table," Junior remarked. "Did your dad teach you that? Or your mom?"

"No, I guess I just have an eye for that sort of thing," Sarah shrugged. "Thanks so much for noticing, though."

"Oh, sure," Junior nodded. "When it comes to you, I pretty much notice everything." He paused as she sat down. "Can I...what can I get you to drink?"

"Milk would be fine," Sarah got out before he could offer her wine.

"Milk coming right up," Junior nodded, and Sarah could _swear_ there was relief in his voice. He rifled around in the refrigerator then returned to the table with a glass of milk for her, and a glass of orange juice for him. He noticed right away that she'd served herself, half her plate was empty, and when she looked up at him, her face was covered in sauce as she thanked him with a full mouth.

"I have to thank you," he told her as he handed her a fistful of napkins. "The work you're putting in to stopping me from finding you attractive is truly remarkable."

"Thanks," Sarah finally swallowed and wiped her mouth. "That probably would have given Daddy a heart attack if he'd seen it."

"What _wouldn't_ give your dad a heart attack?" Junior asked.

"Oh, I'm sure there's something," Sarah replied. "Knowing that I'm safely in a relationship with Josh, I guess." She paused. "How are your parents?" She asked. If she kept talking then it was less likely that there would be any awkward silence that they would fill with things they shouldn't.

"They're good," Junior replied. "Like I said, Mom really loves the girls and Dad does too."

"And it's good that Maeve has that schedule, right?" Sarah continued. "Did she know she was gonna be gone, you think, and that's why she made it up?"

"Nah," Junior shook his head. "Maeve just likes to plan things. I get why, though: when you're dealing with someone like Lucifer, unsupervised time is not a luxury. It's probably just something she's used to."

Sarah nodded and paused to shovel more lasagna into her mouth, and so did he. Then, under the table, her foot began to twitch, moving up to rub Junior's leg after leaving her shoe on the floor.

He let out a grunt and then quickly began speaking again and mashing his lasagna with his fork. "Have you seen Ellie lately?" He questioned. "Is she okay? Is that mood she's in still going on?"

"Oh, no," Sarah shook her head and quickly set her leg down. "That's all better now. She's still struggling with Lucifer being gone, but it's not as bad as it used to be."

They continued to make small talk and keep their hormones at bay until, after digging into their next helpings of lasagna, Sarah reached for the salt at the exact same time Junior did. Their hands touched, Sarah's foot again began rubbing Junior's leg, and, and then he grabbed her face and began kissing her, knocking everything off the table and onto the floor.

The kiss was brief. They quickly broke apart and looked at the mess they'd made of the kitchen. Junior quickly cleaned it up

"Sorry, I have to go," Sarah exclaimed, knocking the salt shaker over as she stood up fast and snatched her purse before running for the door. "Thanks for dinner, the lasagna was lovely!"

But Junior, who was taller than she was and had longer legs, reached the front door before she did, closed it, and locked it. "What are you doing?" She asked. "Why did you shut the door like that? If it's because of what I think...you're gonna regret this. You still have time to not do it! Even though we both have been feeling the urge all night, we don't have to go through with it! You can stop it! You know that! You know what's right and what's wrong." But he could hear her heartbeat, and her heavy breathing, The lust in the air was getting hard to ignore.

"I do," he murmured as he came up behind her and pulled her to him backwards, his hands firmly on her hips as he shut his eyes and inhaled the scent of her hair. "I know. I...and I _swear,_ I've seriously tried to get past this, but...you're just too lovely and I just want you too much. That's not so bad, is it? Don't you want me too?"

He was right, and his voice was so low and warm and intimate. It made her tingly. She nodded, completely entranced by him. Then he started to rub against her and she twisted around to look him in the eye. "That's enough," she breathed. "Do we really want to do this? We shouldn't."

"No," He shook his head. "And you're so lucky your will is so much stronger than mine. But in your heart of hearts, you really want to, don't you?" She tilted her head and made a face as if to say 'Why not'? And then he began kissing her neck, his arms around her waist again.

"Sean, please," she got out, a moan escaping after the 'Please'. "No, don't. Yes, do that again..."

"Well," he whispered and nibbled on her ear. "Which is it? If you tell me no now, I'll stop...if you really want me to."

She shook her head, the movement nearly imperceptible. His hands then slid upward from her waist to cup her breasts, which he gave a squeeze before taking her hard nipples between his fingers and squeezing them too, a pleasurable burst of pain. "What the hell," she whispered as she turned around, undid the button and zipper on his pants, and then returned to her previous position, rubbing up against him until he was as hard and erect as she had been. "Let's just get this over with. No use hiding from it. No use hiding our feelings. Especially if we're only doing it once." She grabbed his hand, nibbled on his fingers, and then slipped his hand in her skirt. Then she could feel that he was gone. Any desire to restrain himself that had been there previously had disappeared, and he began rubbing her good and hard until she climaxed and then afterward, she slipped off everything except her underwear, leaving her clothes in a pile by the door before he carried her off to his bed. He set her down just inside the doorway and they resumed their furious kissing, their hands roaming all over each other's bodies before she broke the kiss, slid her panties off, and pushed him against the wall.

"Get your pants off," she whispered. "I have a surprise for you, Sean."

"Oh, what is it?" Junior asked, not taking long to stand naked in front of her. Then, she got close to him, put his arms around her waist, and wrapped one leg around his. He felt himself go deep inside her and she let out a moan.

"Jeez, are you gonna be okay?" He asked, keeping one eye on the leg she was balancing on. But that didn't last for long as she resumed kissing and nibbling on him until her leg finally gave out and they both fell to the floor with a yelp.

As they stared at one another on the ground, he whispered, "You wanna get in bed, or are you okay right here?"

"Either's fine with me," Sarah whispered. "It just depends on if you can wait."

"No," He shook his head. "I can't. Not after that. I want more."

"Good," Sarah grinned. "I bet you're just dying to be on top, but there's one more thing I..."

"Please," Junior replied. "Go ahead."

Taking a deep breath, she straddled him and told him to grab her hips as he rose up to meet each thrust. It was thoroughly enjoyable. Surprisingly, he'd never done this move with Maeve.

When it was finally his turn to be on top, they made their way to the bed. She wondered where he was gonna go next, and to her surprise, he was just as adventurous as she had been. Clearly, testing her flexibility was as much of a priority for him as showing it off had been for her.

He told her to lay on her back while he knelt so that her feet were resting on his shoulders and he entered her repeatedly. It was a nice break, but still gave her a good stretch, and it felt awesome.

"You got anything in your head that can make for a bit more eye contact?" She asked, grinning after they'd finished as she squeezed his cheek and his head went back and forth. "I want to look into those pretty eyes again, please!"

Junior grinned, took her face in his hands and kissed her soundly. "You know that especially when we're like this, I can't say 'No' to you," he told her. "I want to look into your pretty eyes too."

He then sat cross-legged and she sat on his lap, facing him, her legs wrapped around his waist as they held onto each other, rocking slowly back and forth as they looked into each other's eyes and smiled.

Finally, they'd decided they'd had enough for the moment and separated, embracing as they lay next to one another under the covers and trying to catch their breaths.

"Where did you learn all that?" Junior asked.

"I got a book of sex positions for flexible people," Sarah shrugged. "Ellie had a copy and I got one too, when she wasn't with me, of course. I figured that as long as I'm as flexible as I am, it might be good to use it for something. What about you?"

"Internet," Junior shrugged. "I was bored. I have a whole list somewhere. Those were the two I could remember off the top of my head."

"Oh, it was enough," she promised and cuddled up against him, holding him close and kissing his chest. "I'm not gonna forget it any time soon, trust me."

Eventually they sat up. "What should we do now?" Sarah asked. She saw the time on the clock. It was late. "I assume I'm not going home tonight?" She asked dryly.

"Nope," Junior shook his head. "Not tonight." He paused. "I'm kinda hungry. You want ice cream?" He zapped up a carton for himself, chocolate fudge.

"Good idea," Sarah replied and followed suit with her own carton of strawberry cheesecake.

They took their time with that and even shared their cartons and when they both were empty and thrown in the trash, Sarah got out of bed and put on one of Junior's t-shirts, ran to get her panties from the hallway, and when she returned, she hugged him and made another request.

"Will you show me all the doctor stuff you do?" She asked. "I know I never have supported it much, but...I want to show you that I do now."

"You mean you want to roleplay?" Junior asked. "Cause I wouldn't mind playing doctor in a sexy way. You know I'm always up for giving you a thorough examination. I didn't think I looked at every nook and cranny before."

"No, no, not like that," Sarah shook his head. "Like, read me some of your medical stuff. Don't you have books about medical stuff?"

"Sure, but you'll be bored out of your mind," Junior told her. "Reading medical books and journals doesn't exactly lead to a romantic evening."

But she insisted, pointing out that what she read for Sports Medicine wasn't much different and finally he caved and got dressed, taking her to his library where he pulled out the first medical book he could find, sat down, turned to the first page he could find, and began reading. Something about the heart and blood flow and veins and stuff.

"Here, put these on," she said, producing a pair of glasses.

He did, amazed when she didn't tell him to stop because she was bored. He looked up and saw her gazing at him with something that could only be called adoration. "You're so hot when you talk smart," she told him. "You got a good brain _and_ a good body. And to top it off, those glasses are _so_ sexy!"

He blushed. Was something wrong with her? Why was she all over him all of a sudden? But he had to admit the interest she seemed to have in his career was nice. Maeve never had the patience to share this with him.

"Read some more!" Sarah urged. "Please!"

He did, testing just how enamored she was of all of this and if there was a limit. But even a chapter on the bladder and kidneys (which could hardly be considered romantic) kept her interest. Or she was just really good at pretending.

Finally, he had enough of that. "Why don't we go shower?" He suggested and stood up. "I think taking a shower would be good right now."

"Yeah, me too!" Sarah said. "Let's do it!"

Luckily, there was a shower nearby and after Junior turned it on, of course it didn't take long for either to undress and step under the warm spray, their arms going around each other and pulling their bodies close as he picked her up and braced her against the wall, her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist. The only thing tough about this was making sure she didn't a mouth full of water with every thrust from him.

Then he let her down and they finally decided to wash each other slowly, gently and thoroughly before leaving the shower and toweling each other off

"That was so good," Sarah said. "My whole body is so clean, but my mind is so dirty!" She grinned. "And I like it!"

Junior grinned back, embracing her as she kissed his neck. "Me too."

Then he saw that she was yawning, her head resting on his shoulder. "Are you tired?" He asked, kissing her hair. "I wouldn't be surprised. We've worked each other very hard."

"I could stay up a little longer," she said, although he didn't believe it. "I promise."

"No, you can't," he said, shaking his head as he took her hand and led her to bed. "It's okay to admit it."

They got under the covers and kissed some more as they ran their hands over each other's bodies, and then, a grin on his lips, he began rubbing her gently until, as her whole body, from her head to her toes, got warm, she climaxed and fell asleep, the last thing she felt as the lights went out being Junior's kiss on her cheek as his arms wrapped around her and held her close.


	8. What I Can't Let Go

When Sarah's eyes opened the next morning, it took a couple of seconds for her to remember where she was, and that the warm body next to hers was not Josh's. Thankfully she remembered before she said Josh's name out loud because that would have been a nightmare.

She was all ready to get out of bed when a half awake Junior put his arm around her, scooted close, and began spooning her. "Good morning," he whispered. "I had such good dreams about you, sweetheart,"

Sarah giggled and flushed bright red, glad he couldn't see it. " _Did_ you?"

"Yeah," Sean nibbled on her earlobe as his hands caressed her body. "Do you want to do more of what we did last night?"

This caused a shocked sound to leave Sarah's throat. " _Really_? You exhausted me last night and now you want more? What sort of a woman do you think I am?" She asked sarcastically, finally twisting her body around to look him in the eye.

Junior grinned. "A very pretty and skilled one?" He guessed and then kissed her."And I'm always gonna want more from you. You can count on that!" He paused. "When I say that, I mean I'm always gonna want more from you because I think you're wonderful," he assured her quickly. "Not that I want to tie you to my bed and make you my sex slave or anything."

"Don't worry," she assured him. "I know what you meant." She paused, grabbed his face, and kissed him. "Why are you babbling like a silly person? Do I make you nervous?"

"No, the fact that this all seems to be going too well makes me nervous," Junior clarified before looking uncertain for just moment, then shaking it off and taking her in his arms again.

Then she kissed him lightly a couple times, her fingers gently tracing the line of his jaw. There was a little bit of a beard growing and she liked it. "Did I ever tell you that I like this scruffy look you're getting?" She questioned.

"You might have," he said. "You've complimented me so much about so many things recently that that could have been something you said, giving her a wink.

She gave him a gentle punch in the stomach and he burst out laughing.

"I'm serious!" she said. "I think it's sexy!"

"Well, thanks, but it definitely wasn't an intentional thing," he admitted. "With the twins, I've not had as much time to groom in the morning and this growth is one of the results of that. All I've got time for is to make sure it's neat before I head out." He paused. "And you're really serious that you think it's sexy?" He had uncertainty in his eyes, and a flush coloring his cheeks. "I've never thought of myself that way."

"Of course I do!" Sarah nodded. "You're a very sexy person, Sean. I've always thought that."

"You never said when we were younger," he told her. "So I had no idea."

Sarah scoffed when she heard this. "The fact that I slept with you so much didn't give you any hints about how sexy I thought you were?" She questioned. "You with your motorcycle that you were always trying to hide from your parents and your leather coat. It all made me into a puddle of mush when I saw you. But I didn't say anything because...well, because I was young and foolish...maybe even stupid. I thought that saying how I felt out loud would lead to something more serious than I was ready for."

"I didn't know that," Junior repeated, feeling a bit unsteady and lightly kissing her cheeks to get rid of that feeling.

"Well, now, you do," Sarah grinned.

Junior then put a hand under her chin to raise her eyes to his. "And?" He questioned. "I feel an 'And' coming on."

"And..." Sarah took a deep breath and continued. "And...you scared me to death because what I felt when I was around you was so powerful, and it made me feel like I was losing control and you know how much I liked to be in control back then. Didn't like to give an inch at all."

"Yeah, you were kind of a princess that way," Junior agreed, a chuckle in his voice as Sarah punched him in the arm. "Angelica and Ellie got some of that which is why I'm glad they have guys in their lives that will help counteract it."

"You are such an ass!" Sarah grinned. "And did you just compliment Lucifer?" She asked in surprise. "Or am I hearing things?"

Junior grinned. "I did, but tell no one, all right? _Especially_ not him!"

"It'll just be between you and me," Sarah promised, then said, "It's probably breakfast time by now. Want me to make us something?"

"You're right," Junior nodded, a grin spreading across his lips. "Now that you mention it, I _am_ kind of hungry..."

"All right," Sarah nodded and moved to get out of bed. "I'll make eggs. How do you want them?"

But he grabbed her arm and gently pulled her back to him. "Where are you going?" He questioned. "I didn't say I was hungry for food." He got her under him on the mattress. "I was thinking of something a little different..." Holding on to her wrists so they stayed over her head, he sucked gently on each one of her breasts before moving down to kiss her belly, swirl his tongue around her belly button and kiss up her inner thighs before asking her to spread her legs so he could pleasure her with his tongue.

"Sean!" Sarah moaned. "Oh, gosh, yes! Do that again!" She was squirming and laughing, and her climax was powerful enough that her whole body shook.

"Are you all right?" He asked after, moving some of her hair out of her eyes.

"Damn," Sarah nodded, panting. "I don't think I've ever been better." She put her arms around him and began kissing him, her hands going over his body as she nibbled on his earlobes and the outer edges before licking them gently.

She then moved one hand down his body until she felt his cock, hard and erect, under the covers. Pushing him back onto the mattress, she got on her knees and gave him a handjob with one hand and gently slid the fingers of her other hand down the back of his shaft.

"Oh, dear god!" He exclaimed. "Good! He cried. "Damn, Sarah, that is _good!_ " Then, as a growl escaped his throat and a grin curved his lips, he took her in his arms and moved so that she was underneath him and entered her, thrusting over and over until they were both panting and exhausted.

"I think..." Sarah remarked, "I think it's time we ate now, don't you? I'm _ravenous_!"

"Oh, me too!" Junior agreed. "I'll take you up on those eggs now if that's what you're up for too."

"Yeah, I'll just make up everything I can find," Sarah said. But after she'd dressed and was making her way out the door, her cell phone, which was in her purse that was hanging off the bedstead, beeped. She grabbed it and her heart sank. The beep had been a text message from Josh.

 _Finally coming home today! Can't wait to see you. I've missed you so much, baby! Love you!_

 _Josh_

She must've looked ill because Junior came and put a hand on her arm as she shoved the phone back in her purse.

"What's the matter?" He asked. "Are you okay? Is something wrong? How can I help?"

"N-no, I'm f-fine," she stammered and pulled her arm out of his grip. "But..but I need to go now, I'm sorry. You'll have to make your own eggs!" She then grabbed her purse and ran for the door, but Junior stood in front of it, blocking her way as he had before.

"What's going on?" He asked. "Why are you leaving so fast? Talk to me, please."

Then Sarah frowned at him. "Get out of my way!" She snapped. "I have a husband who's coming home from work today, Josh. You remember Josh, Sean? I am his wife, he is my husband, and you shouldn't be asking a woman you know is married to stay with you at your house. What example is that setting for your daughters?"

"Oh, I can't believe you're doing this again," Junior said, crossing his arms and refusing to move. "You must feel _really_ guilty about cheating on Josh since you're acting like I'm the only one who's at fault for what we did. But you're wrong. We _both_ are. Don't just pin it on me!"

"So you're telling me that when Maeve comes back you're gonna be up front with her about everything?" Sarah spat. "Tell her that you cheated of your own free will, even though you know it won't make her very happy?"

"Yes, because it's the right thing to do!" Junior got out.

"I'm leaving!" Sarah proclaimed and made a few futile attempts to push him away from the door.

He just laughed, took her purse, and threw it in the direction of the bed, not caring when it _missed_ the bed and landed on the floor.

"Don't run away from this, Sarah," he implored as he backed her up against the wall, his eyes boring into hers. "Don't run like you always do. Like I did. It's bad habit for both of us and we should break it."

"Well, it's a fine time for you to want to do that _now_ when we're married to _other people_ ," Sarah pointed out. "You couldn't have had this realization when Ellie was a baby? _Then_ would have been the right time!" She shook her head. "This will never be more than what it was, Sean. A night to get our lust for each other out of our systems before we went back to our lives with Josh and Maeve."

"You're kidding me, right?" Junior told her. "I don't believe for one second that when Josh is between your legs at night, you'll be thinking about him. He might be the one fucking you, but you'll be thinking about _me_."

"How _dare_ you?" Sarah got out after she was shocked into silence for a few seconds. To make up for that shocked silence, she gave him a good hard slap. "Don't you talk to me like that!"

Junior put a hand up to his reddening cheek and nodded. "Okay," he admitted. "I deserve that. I took all this too far. I'm sorry."

"Damn right you did!" Sarah agreed. "Now, are you gonna let me go home to my husband or not?"

"I'll let you go when you admit that you're never gonna forget what we've done, that it's affected you in a lasting way. That no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you might want to, you'll never forget it!" Junior told her.

"But we agreed!" Sarah said. "We agreed to do it and forget it!"

"I don't believe I ever agreed to anything like that," Junior countered. "You want me to spill it, I'll spill it!"

"Spill what?" Sarah asked, confused. "Sean, what are you talking about?"

"My feelings," Junior told her. "I'm going to tell you how I really feel about you: You've always been everything to me, Sarah, even when it didn't seem like it. Because my feelings for you have always been so strong that sometimes I've not known how to handle them, so I ran away instead, hoping that distance would get rid of them and I could focus on the things that were more comfortable and familiar to me, like my work. Books and study are predictable things. I can open a book and know what I'm gonna find. I can check on a patient and know what symptoms mean what illness. It's very comforting to me. But feelings...especially when you're concerned...I can't always figure them out, put them in a neat little box and deal with them in precisely the right way. And it's unnerving. I love you, Sarah. I love you so much that sometimes I wish I could just pull out my damn heart so I would stop hurting from the lack of you."

"What?" Sarah was disconcerted and crying now. Emotional openness was not something Sean did. He held his feelings at a distance and it took a hell of a lot for him to admit that he was feeling things like sadness or hurt. And yet, here he was, doing just that. She wanted to avoid it all...take advantage of his weak moment to leave. But her nurturing side wouldn't allow it. Couldn't let her leave when someone was hurting. So she wiped her tears away and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry," she told him. "I'm sorry."

"Please don't leave," he urged, taking her hand hand and putting her warm palm against his cheek. "Please don't leave until we at least find a way to deal with this. We need to find some sort of solution! Baby, I'm...I'm really serious about this!"

"There _is_ a solution," Sarah told him, her dark gaze unusually hard, her tone harsh. "I leave and we never talk about this again. It's better for the both of us. You'll see. Please kiss the girls for me, and don't call me, because I'm not going to answer if you do. Goodbye, Sean." She moved her hand, brought to her side, grabbed her purse off the floor, and strode from the room, her exit full of overly exaggerated dignity while Junior watched her go without another word.

* * *

After bursting through the door of her and Josh's house, Sarah was panting heavily as she locked it behind her, made her way to the bathroom, showered and scrubbed herself raw, as if all it took to get rid of the guilt of what she and Sean had done behind Josh's back was some honeysuckle scented body wash and a loofah.

After she was as clean as she could be, she put on a fresh pink and white dress, set daisies on the table, and then began making dinner so that there would be a good smell in the house when he arrived. Plus, he was probably hungry after his whole day of traveling. And while she cooked, she tried to keep everything but Josh out of her mind.

When he arrived though, he was quick to notice her nervousness, although that's not what he thought it was.

"So nice to see you again!" He told her with a smile, his brown eyes warm. "Are you cold? You're shaking like a leaf!"

He took one of her shaking hands, rubbed it, and kissed it.

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "I'm cold." She threw her body against his. "Please warm me up! I really could use it!"

"I bet," Josh agreed, putting his arms around her. "I hope you managed to find something to do with yourself while I was gone, and that everything I heard about Lucifer and your sister and the others disappearing wasn't too hard for you to deal with. I _really_ wanted to be at home with you when I heard. Cause I love you and I didn't want you to be scared."

"Thanks, you're too kind," Sarah told him. "I don't deserve you."

He just gave her a grin and turned to face the table. "You made chicken!" He exclaimed. "I _love_ chicken!"

"Oh, I know you do!" Sarah smiled and came to play with his dark hair. "Why do you think I made it for you? I wanted there to be good smells in the house when you came through the door. Did you eat well when you were gone? How long has it been since you've had a good meal?" She kissed his cheek and waited for his answer as he grinned and pulled her onto his lap.

"I didn't starve," he promised. "But nothing they had was as good as your cooking. I really missed it." He paused. "And speaking of things I miss...how's Ellie Bean? Is she any better?"

"She's...she's better, but...still sad cause how can she not be when she just lost the love of her life?" Then Sarah burst into tears, thinking about Junior, but of course let Josh think she was sad about Ellie.

Without hesitation, Josh began rocking her back and forth and muttering nonsense meant to soothe her. "It's gonna be all right, you know. Everything will be okay. I'll go take my shower. then we can have that wonderful chicken you made and read the next chapter in our book or go out on the porch swing or watch a movie...whatever you want. I just want to spend time with you. It's been way too long!"

"I know it has," Sarah told him. "Which is...which is why I hope you won't be offended if we hold off on that a bit longer. I have a bit of a headache and I think going to bed early might just be the trick to making it go away."

"Sure you can go to bed now, if you like," he told her. "I can eat chicken on my own, and we'll have plenty of time to do things together once you feel better."

"Thank you," Sarah managed a smile for him, kissed him lightly on the cheek, and then walked slowly out of the room, speeding up once she was out of Josh's sight, throwing herself through the bedroom door, slamming it shut, and then breathing a sigh of relief before throwing herself onto the bed and dissolving into frustrated sobs.

* * *

"We haven't heard from Junior in three straight days," Kai pointed out to Adrian and held out his hand. "You know that means he picked door number two, which means you owe me twenty dollars."

Adrian opened his mouth to protest. "You don't know that! I refuse to pay until we know for sure!" He thought about calling to make sure Junior knew they were coming, but if he _had_ picked door number two, he might not even be able to answer the phone. Best to just head over and see for themselves what state he was in.

When they got to his house, Adrian used his key to get in. Everything was dark. Not wanting to alarm Sean by turning on lights, they began walking toward something shaped like a staircase, but as they advanced, Kai stepped on a squeaky floorboard and then he and Adrian let out cries of shock as a shape charged them in the darkness and knocked the wind out of them.

It was then that the lights finally came on to reveal Junior: He stood before them in boxers stained with beer and no shirt. His hair was greasy and while he wasn't incredibly smelly, it was apparent that wasn't on his normal shower schedule. And when he spoke next, they could clearly smell the alcohol on his breath.

"What are you doing in my house?" He asked them. "Couldn't you have called instead of just barging in? What's _wrong_ with you?"

"I think we could ask you the same question," Adrian said, backing away a little.

"Yeah," Kai agreed. "The trip behind door number two didn't end well, I take it?" He then turned to Adrian, a grin curving his lips. " _Now_ can I have my money?"

"You placed a bet on what I would do with Sarah?" Junior asked, shocked out of his down mood.

"Well, yeah," Kai nodded, sticking the money in his jeans pocket. "Don't worry about it though. It was just a bit of fun. Thinks for helping me win. I appreciate it."

Junior then turned to Adrian, expecting some sour grapes about his loss, or disappointment in his behavior, but instead, Adrian just began pushing him toward the kitchen. "Now that you've had your fun, we need to get you sobered up," he said, his voice full of surprising authority. "I assume your daughters aren't here? I know you wouldn't be dumb enough to be sloshed around your daughters."

"No, they're with my parents," Junior replied. "I meant to go pick them up but then when I realized how I was feeling and what I needed to do to make it better, I thought it would be best to keep the girls where they were."

"Good," Adrian praised, good for you!" He then asked Kai to make Junior up some coffee while he himself poured a big glass of cranberry juice to go along with it and got Junior some aspirin. Along with both drinks, Adrian also made up some eggs, oatmeal, and toast with honey...his mother's classic hangover breakfast. "There," he said. "Eat and drink all that. It should make you feel better."

"Are you sure?" Junior asked, his head down on the table. "Cause now I feel like I'm dead! I just want to die because I _really_ screwed things up with Sarah and as much as I know she's right when she told me that we should just forget what happened, I can't! She's everything to me! I can't live without her!"

"Are you gonna eat that?" Kai asked, reaching for the toast. Adrian slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch that!" He commanded. "It's not for you! Junior has to eat all of it. We're not leaving until he cleans his plate!"

"Okay, okay, I'll eat it!" Junior said at last, sitting up and drinking the coffee first, then taking the aspirin with the cranberry juice. He shoveled the eggs into his mouth until Adrian urged him to slow down, then he ate at a more measured pace. It took some time, but eventually, everything he'd been given to eat was gone.

"Feel better?" Adrian asked.

"Yeah," Junior nodded. "Physically anyway. Thanks."

Kai and Adrian didn't know how to respond to that remark beyond "You're welcome," so they just grabbed some things out of the fridge for their own breakfast and left Junior alone. When they were gone, he grabbed his cell phone and called Sarah. He knew she'd said she wouldn't answer if he did, but she couldn't have meant that.

But it just kept ringing, and ringing until finally, the voicemail box kicked in. He could picture her hopping from from foot to foot and biting her lip, wondering whether or not she should answer. It was probably killing her not to.

"Hi, this is Sarah! Leave your name, number, and message after the beep and I'll get back to you! Thanks!"

She sounded so happy in the voicemail greeting, Junior thought. That was almost enough. All he needed to hear. But still...leaving a message wouldn't hurt. "Hi Sarah, baby," he got out. "Since you didn't answer, I guess you know who this is. I know you told me not to call, but...I had to. I miss you so much, I really do. Which I know is weird to say cause we've not even been apart for very long at all. Just a couple of days. But they've been a hard couple of days for me. I tried to do what you said. To forget it all. But I can't, apparently. I love you too much, Sarah. I love you. That's all. You don't have to call me back. Bye." He ended the call, swearing that he heard a noise on the other end of the line...a gasp, a sob, something. But it was probably just his imagination. Nothing more than that. Not knowing that it _had_ been a sob, and that Sarah had had the phone to her ear the whole time, even if she hadn't actually answered it. She'd heard his message, and it had moved her so much that she went out and bought three spiral notebooks, and filled every blank page with "I love you, Sean, I love you, Sean, I love you, Sean," getting out the words that she wouldn't dare speak again as long as Josh lived.


	9. The Hardest Thing

"Oh, and I forgot to mention that I'm doing an extra shift tonight so you don't have to wait dinner," Sarah informed Josh as she waited for her waffles to pop out of the toaster before heading to work one morning. "You can save me some if you want, but I'll probably pick up some fast food on the way home." The waffles popped up and she caught them, letting out a cry when she felt their heat against her hand and quickly wrapped part of them in a paper towel and then nibbled on the rest as she made her way toward the door.

"Are you okay?" Josh asked, stopping her and handing her a glass of orange juice, which she gulped down. "You've been working an awful lot since I got back. If I didn't think it was completely insane, I would think you were trying to avoid me!"

"No, no!" Sarah tried to reassure him after giving a nervous giggle because that's precisely why she was agreeing to a bunch of extra shifts when her brother was actually _begging_ her to take a break. "I just...you know, it's getting warmer outside, the gym is getting busier, Patrick's been asking me if I could help out a little more because they're short-staffed...and I can't say 'No' to my brother, can I?"

"Well, I wish you would once in a while," Josh huffed. "Will you be here when Hannah and Christopher come for dinner or are you gonna find some reason to skip that, too?"

"No, I'll be here for that," Sarah assured him.

"Good," Josh nodded, trying to lighten his tone a bit and give Sarah a smile. "Have a good and productive day at work and I'll see you when I see you."

"Thanks," Sarah told him and gave him a hug. "I'll call you and let you know what my plans are. You won't just be left in the dark."

"I'll be waiting for that," Josh agreed and then gave her a push toward the door.

Sarah gave him one last smile, then headed out to the car, started it, and headed to work.

* * *

Although he realized he had every right to be mad about how Sarah was ignoring him, Josh realized that he'd been a little over dramatic at breakfast, so when she called him to request that he bring her backpack to the club over lunch so she could do a little studying while she ate, he didn't hesitate to assure her that he would. He even grabbed a red rose to add to it.

Just as he was preparing to leave and go to the club, he got a call from the mother of a demon friend of his. His friend had gotten in an accident and was in the hospital. He didn't have any deadly injuries, but Jerry was the sort of guy who didn't like to be poked or prodded by others, so being stuck in a hospital bed was distressing to him. Josh's presence would make him feel better.

"I'll be there," Josh promised, then called Sarah to tell her that he would be a little late.

He then ended the call, grabbed the bag, headed to the hospital, and got his friend's room number from the info desk. He made a stop off at the bathroom, but as he exited, he ran into Junior, who swore as he dropped a load of files on the floor.

"Sorry about that," Josh apologized and helped him gather things up. "Didn't see you."

"That's okay," Junior assured him. "It happens." He then reached out to shake Josh's hand. "So glad to see you're back," he said. "You should go see Ellie. She's much better than she was before, even with Lucifer being gone. She'll be glad to know you're around." Just then, they were approached by a nurse. "Are you Josh?" She asked the man himself. She looked frazzled. "If you're Josh, please come with me now. Jerry is _not_ gonna calm down til he sees you."

"Hold this, please," Josh requested and gave Junior Sarah's bag. "I'll be back for it soon."

"No problem," Junior said, recognizing Sarah's bag. "I could even drop this off with Sarah for you if Jerry won't let you out of his room."

"Thanks," Josh told him, feeling a twinge of jealousy. "But I _really_ don't think that will be a problem. I'll be in, I'll be out, and then _I_ will be the one dropping Sarah's bag off to her. You just hold it for now. Don't let it out of your sight. It has her notes and all her important school stuff in there."

"I've seen it before," Junior reminded him. "I know what's in there. I won't lose it. I'll stay right here and wait for you to be done with Jerry."

"You better," Josh said, narrowing his eyes at the other man for a few seconds before a crash and some shouting made him turn his head and follow the nurse at a jogging pace. What had Jerry done now?

* * *

"Guess who!" Junior announced as he strode into the club, put Sarah's bag down by her bar stool and put his hands over her eyes. He'd done his best to be honorable and wait for Josh to be done with his friend, but he truly had taken so long that in the end, Junior just thought it would be best to get Sarah her stuff himself so that she wouldn't be kept from studying any longer.

"Sean?" Sarah asked. "Sean, what are you doing here? I was expecting...someone else to bring me my bag."

"Josh was held up visiting a friend at the hospital," Junior explained, turning the bar stool around to grin at her and hand her the bag. "He wanted me to give you this."

"Thanks, I knew about his visit to the hospital. Poor Jerry. He's one of Josh's more temperamental friends. Doesn't surprise me that Josh couldn't get away." Sarah told him. Then she noticed the rose. "Sean..." She said, a note of warning in her voice. "What did we say about not doing romantic stuff for each other? It was nice for you to bring me my bag, but...I wish you hadn't brought me the rose too."

"Oh, no," he said and ran it gently down her cheek before taking her hand and wrapping her fingers around the stem. "This is from Josh too. I'm just the delivery boy today." He paused. "And you know what they say...don't kill the messenger." He paused, leaning forward a little. "But if you'd like to _kiss_ the messenger, that would be okay."

Sarah growled as her top lip touched his bottom lip, his breath warm on her cheek as he picked her up off the bar stool, carried her to a chair, and sat down with her on his lap. Then he grinned, winked, and kissed her soundly as her fingers ran through his hair.

They made out until Roxie came up behind them with a pot of coffee in her hand and cleared her throat. "You know, I'm all for showing affection and everything, but...you'd have more privacy if you got a room upstairs. Want me to set one up for you?"

Junior and Sarah quickly pulled apart and Sarah got off his lap. "Sorry about that," she apologized to Roxie, smoothing her clothes. "I'm usually much better about controlling myself in public but he always makes me behave badly and be selfish!" She then saw the coffee put. "I'm studying for class now. Could I have a cup of that?"

"Sure," Roxie nodded. "But this is decaf. I'll go get the regular for you."

"Thanks," Sarah grinned. "I appreciate it." She made her way back to her bar stool and unzipped her bag to pull out her notebooks.

"Here, let me help you," Junior offered.

"No, no, you don't have to," Sarah shook her head. "You did your good deed, and now you can leave." She got all her notebooks out, except for one, the one that had all the "I love you Seans" on every page. It wasn't there.

She looked up. He was grinning and holding it out to her. "Looking for this?" He asked slyly.

"Yes, give it back!" She cried and tried to pull it away from him. "It's very personal. You don't just look at people's private things."

"Oh. it's not _that_ private," Junior told her, opening it and flipping through the pages. "You think it's not completely obvious to me that you love me? This is the only way you'll admit it! By writing it in a stupid notebook! Why can't you just tell me how you feel to my face?"

When he said this, Sarah's cheek began to twitch, her eyes narrowed, and when Roxie brought her her coffee, she just gulped it down without even acknowledging that it probably burned her esophagus. She then snatched up her bag and headed to the locker room, where a wave of tiredness suddenly hit her. She'd been working a lot, as Josh had mentioned, and now it was all starting to catch up with her. She dropped her bag on the floor, then lay down on a bench, closing her eyes and drifting off into sleep, her fight with Sean following her into her dreams...

 _"You wanna know how I feel?" She whispered to him, wanting to punch his smirking face. "I'll tell you, but not here. I'll need to say it in a setting that's a bit more private. Did you bring your car?"_

 _Normally, Sean would have been aroused by such a proposal and would have made a cheeky remark in response but now...now he was a bit terrified. "Sure..." he got out, then tried to get control back. "I got my car. Let's go."_

 _So they left and when they were locked in, she said, "All right, let me tell you how I feel: I think you've gone back to being cocky and stupid and there's no way I could ever like you when you're like that, so thank you so much for proving that you haven't really changed at all! It makes my conscience a lot clearer!"_

 _"Oh, stop!" He commanded and pulled her onto her lap. "It's only being cocky if I'm insisting that you like me when there's no basis for me to think that and there is!" He grinned at her. "It's in that notebook, big and bold on every page. Will you just admit that you're mine already? I have no problem admitting that I'm yours. I am, totally and completely!"_

 _"You're cruel, torturing me like this!" She cried. "Making me feel guilty! Making me think about feelings I should not be thinking about when I'm married to another man! And how can you be so open? What about Maeve and the girls? Don't you care about them at all? Why is getting in my pants more important than being a good father to your children and a good boyfriend to their mother?"_

 _"It's not just about getting into your pants!" He shouted. "It's about making clear where I stand! That you're like air to me, and without you, I can't breathe! I love my daughters and I love Maeve so I don't want to hurt them by keeping myself in a relationship when I know my heart isn't in it! When I know that I'd rather be with you and doing anything else would make everyone miserable!" He paused. "And I don't care how much my trying to get you to think the same way about Josh and Hannah makes you hurt. I think it'll do you a lot of good, princess!"_

 _Sarah growled and began punching his chest. "Don't you dare call me princess, you asshole!" She continued to hit him until she tired, then he grabbed her fist, spread her fingers out, and kissed her palm gently. "Are you done?" He asked._

 _"No, not by a long shot," Sarah replied. "But since it seems to have no effect on you whatsoever, since you can't get my words through that thick head of yours, what is the point of going any further?"_

 _"That's what I want to know," Junior agreed. "What's the point in fighting this anymore?" They were soon kissing furiously in the backseat of his car, then he used his magic to give them more space. Then her skirt was hiked up and both her panties and his pants thrown into the trunk as they clutched each other tightly, their bodies in close contact, kissing furiously as he pushed into her over and over again, doing his best to keep them both on the seat._

 _When they were done, they got off each other and Junior said, "See, I told you that you liked me. Otherwise you wouldn't have screwed around with me in the middle of a parking lot."_

 _Sarah got her breath back, grabbed her panties out of the trunk, put them on, and then said with dignity, "The fact that I am physically attracted to you, which I am, does not mean that I am so attached to you emotionally that my relationship with Josh and Hannah doesn't matter! In fact, after I get as far away from you as I possibly can, I am going to find Josh and apologize for being so foolish and behaving like an animal who has no control over their libido! He deserves better than that! And put your pants on for heaven's sake! Your little friend is not getting any more action today!"_

 _Sean looked down. "It's not little! At least that's not what you say when you're happy with me! Or having an orgasm. I've made you have lots of those!"_

 _Sarah rolled her eyes, opened the door, and gasped as she came face to face with a very angry Josh, his dark eyes boring into hers. She opened her mouth to explain, but he didn't giver a chance._

 _"Lots of them?" He hissed. "Nice to know you didn't miss me while I was gone, Sarah!"_

 _"I-I did!" Sarah muttered. "I missed you a lot!"_

 _"Is this why you've been taking so many extra shifts at work? Not so you can actually do your job, but so you can fuck him behind my back and hope I never find out? No wonder he was so eager to bring you your bag!" Josh cried. "I should have guarded it with my life! I don't know why I trusted him!"_

 _"All right," Sarah sighed. "I...I do have feelings for Sean. But they're just...lust feelings! Nothing really meaningful like what you and I have!"_

 _Josh scoffed. "If I truly meant something to you, you wouldn't have slept with him, or at least you would have told me about all this to my face instead of avoiding the situation like a coward and then letting me find you two screwing around in a parking lot!"_

 _"That's what I told her," Junior assured him as he got out of the car and zipped his pants. "I said that. I said-"_

 _"Shut up!" Josh snapped, silencing him. "I don't remember inviting you into this conversation!" He then turned his gaze back to Sarah, who looked like she was gonna start crying. "Get your books and I'll take you back to the gym," he said. "Patrick's probably expecting you back by now."_

 _"Yeah," Sarah whispered and took a deep breath. "I think you're right." She then headed back into the club with Josh trailing behind her, blocking Junior's view as he sat alone in his car._

"Sarah! Sarah! Did you put your bag away? Are you coming?"

The voice made Sarah's eyes pop open and she gasped as she fell off the bench and onto the floor. "Just a minute!" She called, trying to get her bearings and bring herself back to reality. "You can come in if you want, Sean!"

He did, carrying her coffee in one and and pulling her to him with the other.

"What happened?" He asked when he noticed she was shaking. "What kept you? Are you all right?"

"No," she shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder for a little bit before he sat her down on the bench, insisting she take a deep breath and have some coffee. "I had a horrible dream! You and I were here, we were in the parking lot in your car...and let's just say Josh found us in a humiliating position. He was so mad! I didn't know he could _get_ that mad! It was just the most...I...I must be feeling more guilty about this than I thought!"

"All right, but the good thing is that it was just a nightmare, made up by your guilty conscience. Josh didn't see anything. He doesn't know what's going on with us," Junior soothed her.

"Keep holding onto me, please," she said and put her coffee down. "I like it."

"I won't let you go," he promised, kissing her hair. "Don't worry." She looked up at him and grinned an adorable grin. He kissed her forehead and handed her her coffee, and after she took a few more gulps, she felt strong enough to talk about what she'd dreamed.

"I didn't like it," she confessed. "We were both so selfish and stupid! Bad, like we used to be. It's like we haven't changed at all! We're still just in it for the sex and it wrecks everything

"Yes we have too changed!" Junior insisted. "We're not like we used to be at all! We've _definitely_ changed!"

"How?" Sarah asked.

"Well, the notebook, for one."

Sarah groaned. "Please don't talk about that. It's so embarrassing. I don't know what I was thinking!"

"You were thinking," Junior informed her, "that you do feel something real for me and you wanted to express it. That's a change! You didn't say anything or let anything out before cause you weren't ready for a real relationship with me. But now you are and that's why you're writing down so many times."

"If I'm so ready for a relationship with you then how come my brain won't let me tell you or be okay with it or anything?"

"Cause you hold yourself to a ridiculously high standard and care more about other people's feelings than your own," Junior answered. "Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong."

Sarah opened her mouth to do just that, but then discovered she couldn't. To her horror, she realized he had a point.

"Okay, fine, but how do I deal with that?" She asked. "How do I make all the guilt go away?"

"I don't think it'll be easy," He said. "But I just...I wanna say I was really touched when I saw you write how you felt so many times. How the feelings you had for me were out _somehow_ , even if you're not ready to say it out loud as many times and have it lead to something real for us."

She blushed and bit her lip. "Oh, please," she said. "You can't be serious!"

He took her chin in his hands and moved her head upward so he could see her eyes. "Don't bite your lip," he said, licking his bottom lip with his tongue. "I wanna kiss you whenever you bite your lip."

"Really?" Sarah asked. Then she grinned and bit her lip again, which caused him to scoop her up and carry her to one of the employee showers. He shut the curtain, but didn't turn the water on. That would be too much trouble. They removed their clothes and he held her up and balanced her against the shower wall. They kissed each other furiously as he pushed into her over and over until they both got tired and toppled to the floor of the shower. They got their bearings and then did it on the shower floor with Junior's hands and lips going all over her body until it was warm all over.

"Okay," she panted after she climaxed. "That's it. That's enough. We're lucky no one came in here and found us." She got up and lapsed into silence as she dressed.

Junior nodded in agreement, also silent as he dressed. Then, they left the shower and she said, "This can't happen again. That's it...I...it's not what I want, and I know it's not what you want. But it's how it has to be. Please tell me you understand that?"

"Of course," Junior nodded and hugged her. "I don't want anything that freaked you out as much as that dream did to happen in real life, so..yeah. I don't think we should push our luck anymore."

They then opened the door and Sarah let out cry when she saw that Josh was on the other side. But he was grinning at her, his dark eyes warm and pleasant. "Are you okay?" He asked her. "I just came by to tell you that I got things with Jerry under control and that I made reservations at La Reverie for both of us tonight if that's all right with you. If you want to go home to change, we'll have to leave now."

"Oh, yes!" Sarah nodded, full of relief, and then hugged him tight. "Yes, that's wonderful!"

"What's wrong with her?" Josh asked Junior.

"She fell asleep from working herself too hard and had a bad dream," Junior told him. "Going out with you will be just the thing to make her feel better."

"Well, I do my best," Josh told him. "You know, when you offered to bring her bag, I thought you had ulterior motives about why, but...but since you just told me that, I feel better about you."

"Good," Junior told him. "Enjoy your night."

"Thanks," Josh said. "We will."

* * *

Meanwhile, Maeve was feeling terrible frustration and had begun irritating both Dexter and Lucifer with her constant pacing, refusal to sleep, and complete inability to talk about anything that wasn't her twins.

"I know Junior knows where I put the schedule, but what if he messes it up?" She asked for the millionth time. "What if he changes it? What if he doesn't do it at all?" She paused. "And what's going to happen to them while he's working? Who's he gonna leave them with? Oh, this is giving me _nightmares!"_

It was while she was prattling on that Lucifer slipped out of the living room and into the kitchen, coming back with a bottle of wine. "If she's still talking when the bottle is empty, will you knock me out with it?" He requested of Dexter, whose eyes were glazed over.

"You can't drink that all yourself!" Dexter said. "We have to share!"

"Oh, get your own!" Lucifer held it out of his grip. "Survival of the fittest! Or the one most willing to move his ass to the wine cellar and bring up a bottle!"

But just as the cork popped, they heard cries...loud cries, those of an infant. Or _two_ infants.

"My babies!" Maeve cried, a grin breaking out as she ran in the direction of the noises.

"You hear them too, right?" Dexter asked Lucifer after stealing the wine bottle. "Maeve's not just delusional?"

"No," Lucifer sighed. "I hear it too. I hope it really is them and that they stay around for a while. It would do all our sanities a world of good."

* * *

It turned out that it was. Maeve reached the door the crying was coming from, opened it, and settled neatly in two little cribs, were Emma and Lexie, who _stopped_ crying the second they saw their mother.

"How did you two get here?" She smiled, picking up one at a time and putting them on a blanket on the floor so she could play with them. "I don't know how it happened, but I'm very glad to see you." She studied them. They seemed like they were in good shape. Like Junior had either taken care of them himself or had gotten some other competent person to do it. "It looks like your daddy is taking good care of you." She kissed them both. "And that's good, cause I was really worried about that." She tickled them and they laughed and then she hugged them both to her, their weights against her chest making her calmer than she'd been since she arrived here...wherever it was.

It was as she happily cuddled her babies that she heard the knock on the door, then looked up to see a grinning Lucifer. "Sorry," he said. "Didn't mean to interrupt. Nice to see that the crying wasn't some sort of trick!" He paused. "May I come in, or would you like me to leave you alone?"

"Oh, no, you can come in!" Maeve told him.

He did and she handed him Emma, who just snuggled against him. "I know she's not Noah, but...it's close enough for now, right?"

"Yeah," Lucifer nodded. "Thanks." He paused. "You think if you get to see your girls, Eleanor will show up here at some point? If our being separated from everyone else was my Father's doing, perhaps he's suddenly feeling more benevolent and we'll see her at the breakfast table tomorrow."

"I don't know for sure," Maeve told him. "But I have no doubt you'll see her soon. If it doesn't come easily, then I'm sure one or both of you will find a way to do it, even if it takes a long time because you mean that much to each other."

"Yeah," Lucifer nodded, getting a catch in his throat. "We do." He then gave Emma a hug and handed her back to her mother. "I'll leave you alone now," he said. "You stay here with your daughters. Don't lose a minute. Dexter and I can manage."

"You sure?" Maeve asked.

"Yeah," Lucifer nodded. "Don't worry about it. We'll be fine."

* * *

Maeve getting to see her babies and mentioning that Eleanor might return had gotten Lucifer thinking. As he changed for bed that night, he turned around to face Ellie's side of the closet, reaching for one of his shirts that she'd taken for her own use and holding it up to his nose. Naturally, it smelled more like her, the lingering scent of the Chanel No. 5 she liked to be supplied with, as well as the scents that made Eleanor Eleanor. As his eyes closed and her scent seemed to fill his nose and surround him, he heard a voice.

"Lucifer? Lucifer, oh, my gosh!" the shriek brought his head up and he found himself staring at Eleanor's reflection in the full-length mirror. He was so shocked that he dropped the shirt and she disappeared. He then picked up the shirt again, hoping it would bring Eleanor back, which it did.

"What happened?" She asked. She was gripping the sleeve of a dark blue suit jacket of his that she was particularly fond of. "Why did you disappear?"

"Just a second," he said. "I think I know." He dropped the shirt, then picked it up, then dropped it, then picked it up. "Yep," He nodded. "Drop my jacket a couple of times to see if I disappear from your sight."

Ellie thought it was silly and that there were other things she would rather be doing now that they were seeing each other for the first time in what seemed like forever, but she dropped the jacket on the floor twice. Twice, Lucifer disappeared. "Okay, so we have to hold onto the clothes it seems," she said. "So...how are you?"

"Not good, apparently," Lucifer shrugged. "Maeve and Dexter have Amy giving me therapy, can you believe that?"

"I can," Ellie nodded. "Cause I didn't handle your disappearance well and if things had gone on longer than they did, Angelica probably would have set me up with someone too." She paused. "Oh, and if you come back here and find blood on your piano...it's mine. I played so much to try and get close to you that..."

"That you made yourself _bleed_?" Lucifer got out, reaching out and touching the mirror. "Oh, darling..."

"Yeah," Ellie sighed. "Not one of my proudest moments, I know." She grinned. "Wait just a minute!" She then ran out of the closet with the jacket still in her fist, then returned with a baby in her arm. "Here's Noah!" She announced. "Can you see him? Isn't he _big_?"

"Yes," Lucifer grinned. "We have a very handsome boy there, don't we?"

"Yeah," Ellie agreed. "We do. I'm really...liking taking care of him. I'm glad he didn't suffer when I was upset about you being gone. Lee, of all people, was the one who snapped me out of it. I'm sorry I was a jerk about him before. He's really not so bad."

"See, that's what I was trying to tell you!" Lucifer said. "He's not a bad guy...or at least not a monster. He's not trying to steal anyone's place in our family. He just wants a place to belong and that's all. So good that you're civil to one another now. Any other news? Oh, along with my therapy, I've decided to start gardening. Amy said this was a good idea. She's a hundred percent behind me."

"I don't want to ask what you're growing because I don't want to know the answer," Ellie said. "It would terrify me."

"What's so scary about _vegetables?"_ Lucifer questioned. "Answer me that, please!"

"Oh, I know they aren't just vegetables!" Ellie countered. "Do you think I don't know you at all?"

"Well, you're not here, so how else am I gonna pass the time?" Lucifer questioned. "It's just a little harmless fun!"

"Oh, well, never mind!" Ellie shook her head. "I think...I have something interesting to share."

"Oh?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"Hang on." Ellie's arms were beginning to hurt so she said a spell to bring forth a chair and Noah's carrier. When he was settled and she was sitting comfortably, she said, "I think something is going on with Mom and Junior...something sneaky that Mom doesn't want me to know about! She's been helping him with the twins since Maeve disappeared. She's been seeing him every day. And when I asked her how things were between them, she said they were _perfect_! Isn't that weird? Why would she say that?"

"What if it's not anything suspicious?" Lucifer asked. "What if, after so many years of animosity, they're finally reaching some sort of truce? That's what it could mean."

"Could be, but...I'm not sure," Ellie mused. Then she gasped and her eyes widened. "What if she and Junior are having an affair or something? Can I be happy about that? Or do I have to punish them? And do I have to go all the way with it and subject them to twenty-four hour a day burning up? Could I just get away with making them both really itchy for twenty four hours or something and then say 'Lesson learned'?"

Lucifer heard this and burst out laughing. "Well, it's nice to know that you won't let bad behavior go unpunished, even when the perpetrators are your own parents," he told her when he could get a breath. "But if you're going to punish them for being together, then shouldn't you punish _yourself_ for wanting it? You _do_ want your parents together, don't you?"

"Yeah," Ellie sighed. "That would be nice. I would be lying if I said I didn't, even if...even if it's not the most moral thing." She paused. "I mean, you'd want _your_ parents back together if you could make it happen, right?"

"Well, it might be better for the world if they stayed right where they are, but I suppose that if the opportunity presented itself for them to reunite, I couldn't say I'd be against it," Lucifer conceded. "They had their good moments before everything...went to Hell." He paused. "But I don't think that's something I'll have to worry about. Mum's in Hell and Dad...I personally think that Dad's much too busy to even be _thinking_ about romance."

"But if he was...would your mother think that was a problem?" Ellie questioned.

"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "She's quite territorial, my mother. You think _I_ kicked up a fuss when Dad started paying more attention to humans than us? Mum reacted worse than I did. So if Dad ever set his eyes on another woman, I would fear for her...and hope she's tough. And fear for humanity and everyone else as well." He chuckled. "But why are we even talking about this? It's not a problem!"

"You're right," Ellie agreed. "I just wondered is all." She yawned. "I hate to say this, and I really _do_ mean I hate it, but...I'm getting tired and I have to take care of Noah before I put him to bed, which means I have to stop this wonderful conversation. I don't want to."

"Well, you could always come and sleep in the closet," Lucifer jokingly suggested,

"You know, that's not a bad idea!" Ellie grinned, taking him seriously. "Just a minute!" She put the coat down so Lucifer lost her for what seemed like an eternity and when she appeared again, she'd rearranged the closet so there was enough room for a mattress, pillow, and blanket. "All right, I'm all set."

She was gripping the jacket tightly. He knew it would probably make it wrinkle or something, but he didn't care. "Goodnight, Lucifer."

"Goodnight, darling," He told her. "Sleep well. Hopefully we can still communicate this way in the morning."

"Yeah," she grinned. "Me too." Then she dropped the shirt, disappeared from his sight, and he had no choice but to get ready for bed and try and sleep...alone.


	10. Take Me To Church

There was a park by Gwen's church and sometimes she liked to go there and walk around when the weather was nice. On one of her walks, she found Sarah, sitting on one of the park benches and crying her eyes out. "Sarah?" She asked, putting an arm around the younger woman. "What's the matter?"

"I've been a bad person," she said. "I've done bad things."

"You?" Gwen chuckled. "Oh, I doubt that. You're too good of a girl!"

"No, I'm not, not really!" Sarah shook her head. "I've been debating about whether or not to go to confession about some of the things I've done. It might lift the weight off my shoulders."

"What's a pretty girl like you got to confess?" Gwen asked curiously. "I mean, I've been around and I _know_ what I did, but you...you look as innocent as the day is long." She put an arm around her. "Would you care to share?"

Sarah took her face from her hands, her cheeks stained with tears as she stared at Gwen. "Oh, you have _no_ idea about the horrible things I've done," she said. "I thought about coming to confess them, like I told you before; that's why I'm here. But then I thought...have I really done anything wrong? If you...if you love someone, even if it's hard for you to admit it, is it wrong for you to be with them?"

"No, why would it be wrong?" Gwen questioned.

"Cause you're happy to be married to someone else," Sarah explained. "A _nice_ someone else, but a someone else who doesn't stir your passions the way a certain _other_ person does. And to make matters worse, that certain other person is married and has a family too! I don't want to break up a family! Oh, it...it feels good to finally tell someone else. I've been holding it in for so long!"

She began to cry and Gwen put her arms around her. "It sounds like it's not church that you need, dear," she said. "It's a big stiff drink that will cheer you up!"

"That's a wonderful idea. I'll pay," Sarah offered, finally giving her a smile.

"Oh, no," Gwen shook her head, glad for the excuse to leave as she suspected that the longer she was in proximity to the church, the more likely it would be that Steve would appear. "It was my idea. _I'll_ pay."

"Thanks," Sarah replied and stood up. "This could be nice. If we do it again, I'll pay next time."

* * *

But when they got to the restaurant, Gwen was dismayed when Sarah settled for water. "I know we came for drinks, but all of a sudden, I don't feel like it," Sarah shrugged. "Something is telling me that having a drink would be a bad idea!"

"Have you ever drunk at all?" Gwen questioned before diving into her gin and tonic.

"Of course," Sarah nodded. "I like whiskey sours. Daddy's a big whiskey drinker. It's what I grew up around." After she finished her water, she decided to be a little more adventurous and get a cherry soda.

"Well, that's better than water, I suppose," Gwen sighed. She still wondered what Sarah could have done that could have been so bad. "You wanna talk about...about your problem?" She pushed. "With more specifics this time?"

"I am in love with a man who's not my husband," Sarah told her. "And I don't...I don't like it because it's not like Josh is a bad person. He doesn't beat me or yell or anything like that, so why should my mind be wandering somewhere else?"

"Well, you said there's not a lot of passion in your relationship, right?" Gwen said. "And some people _need_ passion."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "When I met Josh, I was a single mom with a full-time job and a little girl. Josh and Ellie got a long and it was nice to have someone to help me look after her. Plus, he was another adult to talk to who wasn't one of my parents, and when you have a little kid, you _need_ that."

"And now that Ellie's all grown and married with kids of her own, things have changed, haven't they?" Gwen questioned, and drained the rest of her drink before signaling the server to order another.

"Apparently they have," Sarah shrugged. "I wish they hadn't. Or at least they would have waited to change until Sean was single and I was single." She paused and took a drink. "What should I do?" She asked. "Should I tell Josh everything? That would be the grown up thing."

"It would be," Gwen nodded. "But if you tell Josh and he dumps you and for some reason, Junior isn't able to free himself from _his_ relationship, then you'll end up with nothing, won't you?"

"Well, yeah...but..." Sarah growled in frustration. "This is so damn hard because I _deserve_ companionship and love and passion, right? But in order to get it, I have to be selfish. On the other hand, if I do the right, grownup thing, I get _nothing!_ There's no good path here!" She put a hand to her head. "I need to think of something else. All this Junior business is making my head hurt. And I feel a little dizzy too."

"All right," Gwen nodded. "Any other symptoms? Do you fee nauseous?"

"My stomach hurts a little," Sarah replied. "Maybe I should go home and lie down."

"Maybe you should," Gwen nodded. "I'll walk you home and make sure you get inside okay."

"Thanks," Sarah told her as she paid for their drinks. "I really appreciate this. Cause if Josh was the one helping me, if he knew about this, he would just worry and fret and fuss and I just..."

"You don't want Josh to fuss over you and give you attention you don't feel you deserve," Gwen nodded. "I understand. Now let's get you home so you can work through this food poisoning or whatever it is."

"I hope it gets over with quickly," Sarah said as they made their way out of the bar. "I don't do well with long illnesses that leave me bedridden for days."

* * *

Gwen was correct in thinking that Steve would show up at the church. But He didn't do it for her. At least not at that point. Someone else needed Him more.

To say that He was surprised to see Junior in the church would be an understatement. This young man especially was not the sort who saw church as a helpful thing. But he was here.

"Hello, son," Steve said, sitting down next to him. "You seem troubled. Would it help you to talk about it? I'm here to listen."

Junior snorted at this offer, ready to say that he didn't feel like sharing his problems with _anyone,_ especially not a stranger. But when he looked up, he suddenly felt more at ease and the words just tumbled out. "The woman I love and I are in a bit of trouble," he said.

"What sort of trouble?" Steve asked. "Surely it's not that she doesn't return your affection?"

"Oh, she does, and I feel the same for her," Junior replied. "We've liked each other for _years_. We even had a child together a while back. Ellie was a bit of a surprise."

"Yes, but a very _nice_ surprise," Steve told him, his eyes twinkling. "I mean, I assume that."

"It took me too long to find out," Junior said. "And now that Sarah and I have finally both gotten on the same page, we can't do anything about it because I've got a girlfriend and new daughters and _she's_ married and...well, it's horrible, frankly."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Steve said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "The Lord works in mysterious ways."

Junior scoffed. Wonderful. A religious nut. Just what he needed right now. "I know you mean well," he said. "But I...I really don't think the Lord could solve my problem. He's just a invisible force, you know? And even if He was real, He probably wouldn't help someone like me."

"Oh, well what would make you say that?" Steve questioned.

"Cause I don't believe in that stuff," Junior shrugged. "I believe in what my senses tell me. What I can read in books."

"Well, obviously that's not entirely true, is it?" Steve wanted to know. "Why else would you come here if there wasn't a part of you, even if it's deep down, that thought you'd get some comfort from it?"

"I don't know," Junior shrugged. "All I _do_ know is that real life is not playing nice with me right now. I can't get comfort where I want it because the woman I truly want is unavailable and the other one has disappeared, along with my daughters, apparently, and I just...I needed a way to make myself feel better and I saw this church so I thought, 'What the heck'?"

"And is it working?" Steve prompted. "From the look on your face, I don't think you're quite convinced, are you?"

"Well, it's a nice, quiet place to sit," Junior conceded. "But when I leave, I'll just be dealing with the same problems I had when I came in. It won't have helped anything."

"If I may offer a suggestion," Steve got out, "I have an idea that might help you with _one_ of your problems at least."

"Is that so?" Junior raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

"The one concerning your girlfriend and your daughters," Steve clarified. "Go home when you can, think of them, and then look in the bathroom mirror. You should see them. You'll know where they are. That should ease your mind a bit."

"You're making that up!" Junior spat. "It's so _mean_ of you to mock someone who is clearly in pain!"

"I'm _not_ mocking you, son," Steve got out. "I'm..I'm trying to give you hope. Whether or not you believe me is up to you. But I really think that you'd be a lot more at ease if you had faith and did what I said."

Junior sighed and pushed some blond hair out of his eyes. "Well, all right," he said. "I suppose it's better than nothing."

"Go then," Steve urged. "See your girlfriend and daughters. You won't regret it."

Junior sighed. "I probably _will_ regret taking advice from a crazy stranger, but...whatever." He strode out of the church then, leaving Steve to smile to himself and clean himself up before going to see Gwen.

* * *

As he was struggling with what to do next, Junior delayed going home by stopping to do errands, then he did some laundry and did his best _not_ to look into the twins' empty room. That wouldn't help his mood.

Finally, there was nothing else for him to do but go to the bathroom and stare at the mirror.

"This is so dumb," he told himself. "It's not gonna lead to anything. No matter how hard I think of Maeve or Emma or Lexie, I'm still gonna be alone." But he stood in silence, staring at his tired reflection with bags under the eyes. And he looked paler too. He'd have to fix that.

When no one appeared in the mirror right away, he resorted to looking down at his bare feet so he wouldn't have to keep being disappointed. Then, suddenly, he heard a voice.

"Junior, is that you? What's going on?"

His head snapped up and he found himself staring at Maeve, who was holding Lexie and looking dumbstruck. "Maeve!" He cried joyfully, running to the mirror and accidentally kissing it. "I can see you! You're real and alive! And...you have Lexie! Is Emma with you too? My mother called me in a panic to say that they were gone, and..."

"Yeah, they're here with me," Maeve assured him. "You can tell your poor mother that. I'm sorry if that worries you too."

"Well, it's a bit sad to go past their empty rooms, but...now that I know they're okay, I feel a little better," Junior said. "You seem well. Do you miss me?"

"Of course I do!" Maeve replied. "I can't wait to get back to you from wherever I am. Things aren't much different here from how they were before I met you and had the girls, but once you know what the good life is, it's really hard to go back." She grinned. "So yes...I do miss you. Do you miss me?"

"Yeah," Junior nodded. "I'm a mess without you but I bet you knew that. Adrian and Kai have been trying to keep me on track but they suck at it compared to you."

Maeve scoffed. "I have no doubt about that, but I'm glad you have someone who's _trying_ at least." She paused. "Any way I can help you while I'm here? We might as well use it because I don't know if it will happen again. I don't even know how it happened in the first place."

"Well, you'll probably think this is hilarious, but...I actually went to a church," Junior told her, leaning on the bathroom counter with his chin resting on his folded arms. "I went to a church and I was sitting there by myself, feeling terrible...and then this guy shows up and for some reason, I felt like I could blurt out all my problems to him. I told him about missing you and the girls and he told me to look in the mirror while thinking about you and here you are." He shrugged. "Whether or not I'll be able to repeat it, I have no idea, but at least it worked once."

"What was this guy like?" Maeve questioned. "What was his name?"

"I don't know," Junior sighed. "I'll probably never see him again. I bet he was just some drifter." He paused. "But I hope something good happens to him, wherever he is." He then continued to talk to Maeve about the girls. He was a bit surprised that she let Lucifer near either of them, but he wouldn't question her judgment. He was just glad to see them and that they were okay, cause they, all three of them, were his girls and he loved them.

* * *

"Everyone else has shown up here today," Steve observed when Gwen strode into the sanctuary. "I was kind of hoping you would too. I know you have been."

"Of course you do," Gwen replied. "Don't you know everything?"

"Well, yes, but..." He paused and then ran after her as she left. "Where are you going?" He wanted to know. "Would you rather talk somewhere else because that's fine with me!"

"Can I ask why me?" Gwen wanted to know. "Of all the women in the world, why me?"

"Cause I sensed you were strong enough," He told her. "I can't just be with any woman."

"Well, aren't you a flatterer?" Gwen got out. "It's nice but it doesn't always work on me."

"It's not just idle flattery," Steve replied. "You might find that handy later on." He paused. "My...my first wife was the jealous type," he told her. "But you know all about jealous spouses."

"Yeah," Gwen nodded. "I'd have to say I do." She paused. "Should I be worrying?"

"Not yet," Steve shook his head. "When it's time for that, you'll know. Trust me."

Gwen paused, wanting to go back to lighter conversation. "I'm sure it's not that bad." She paused. "You made a nice day today. Thanks for that." She paused. "And just to clarify: you like me because I'm strong, not because I'm beautiful?"

"Of course I think you're beautiful!" Steve told her. "You're like an angel!"

"What?" Gwen burst out laughing. "You can't be serious!" She grabbed her stomach and doubled over. "Thanks for that, I needed a laugh."

"What's so funny?" He asked. It wasn't said angrily. He sounded genuinely confused and as she got a look at his face, Gwen stopped laughing.

"Oh, my...you're serious about that, aren't you?" She asked. Her tone was quieter now. She was dumbstruck.

"I wouldn't say something I didn't mean," Steve said. "I promise I'm not an idle flatterer."

"Thank you then," she blushed and sat down in a pew, unconsciously fluffing up her blonde hair a bit. "I'm sorry I laughed. It's just that...I'm not used to people thinking about me that way, _men_ especially. It's still kind of strange. Hard to get used to."

He sat down next to her and took her hand. "Well, I certainly _hope_ you can get used to it," he told her. "Because you'll get compliments more than anything else from me."

Then Gwen looked him over. "You've cleaned up," she observed. "You did your hair. You put on suit. Was that for me? _Don't_ tell me that's for me."

"Well, yes," Steve admitted. "It's for you. I thought that if you weren't doing anything tonight, you and I could..."

"Go out?" Gwen finished. "You...you wanna go out with me?"

"Why not?" Steve asked. "I could show you the world. It could be fun!"

"I've _seen_ the world," Gwen deadpanned. "In case you haven't forgotten, I'm no spring chicken. I've been around and I've seen the world. It is what it is. I don't think I could get anything new from it."

"Oh, of course you could if you went with _me_!" Steve insisted. "We'll have fun, I promise." He paused. "Would it make you feel better if we went with another couple?"

"And who would we go with?" Gwen asked hesitantly. He was right. She would feel better about going out with him if there was someone to keep an eye on him.

"Whoever you felt comfortable with," Steve shrugged. "I'm sure Angelica isn't doing anything right now."

"I'm sure she is, but she's a good child," Gwen said, thinking of poor Angelica having her night ruined by having to go on a double date with her grandfather. "You know if you ask her, she won't say 'No'."

"Exactly," Steve grinned. "So we're covered. Be prepared for an unforgettable night, Gwen!" But then he kissed her, and while it wasn't a _bad_ kiss by any means, it was still very overwhelming. "You know," she said, backing away from him. "I think it would be best to spare Angelica for the night. I just...I realized I'll have to take a rain check."

"Oh, all right," he said. "Would tomorrow be better for you?"

"I don't know off the top of my head," Gwen said, backing away toward the church door. "I'll have to see when I get home and I'll be sure to let you know."

"Okay," Steve told her. "You do that! I can't wait to hear from you!"

In her rush to leave, Gwen tripped and fell on her face. He came to help her up and held on to her until she got her balance and even a little longer than that.

"Are you all right?" He asked. Their lips were practically touching. "Will you be able to walk? I hope you didn't do anything to your ankle. Maybe I should carry you."

"Oh, no, you don't need to-" Gwen began, but stopped halfway when he did it anyway. "I didn't bring a car, you know," she said, fighting the warm and fuzzy feelings that were popping up insider her as he made his way out of the church with her in his arms. It was as if she weighed nothing to him. "You're gonna be carrying me a ways."

"I don't mind at all," he said with a smile and just kept walking. "It gives me more time to spend with you and really, that's all I want."


	11. The Easiest Sin

"You know," Ellie remarked one night as she and Lucifer talked in the closet, "Maybe we should stop being selfish and tell certain other people about the mirror trick."

"What other people?" Lucifer asked. "You mean like Dexter and Valerie?"

"Yes," Ellie said. "Who else would I mean? Valerie misses him. She tries to hide it, but I can tell. How's Dexter doing? You're not being too hard on him, are you?"

"No," Lucifer shook his head. "In fact, _I'm_ the one you should be feeling sorry for! Maeve and Dexter have teamed up and keep working against me!"

"Well, maybe if you bring him in here, he won't be mad at you anymore," Ellie shrugged. "It's a thought."

So a few minutes later, both Lucifer and Ellie brought Dexter and Valerie to the mirror, but didn't tell them why.

"Just be patient with me," Ellie told her daughter with a smile. "And hold onto your dad's jacket, would you?"

"Yeah," Valerie huffed, taking it in her fist. "But I still don't know-" She paused mid-sentence and let out a happy shriek when she saw Dexter on the other side of the mirror. Dexter was just as shocked and pleased to see her.

"Valerie?" He got out. "Oh, my...it's you!" He then took off his glasses, cleaned them, and put them back on. "Yep," he nodded and grinned widely. "You're still here. I'm definitely _not_ hallucinating."

"And even if you still thought you were, maybe _this_ would help convince you otherwise for sure," Valerie said with a wink, and then, to her parents' and Dexter's shock, she began stripping in front of the mirror until she was just in her underwear.

"What are you doing, young lady?" Lucifer demanded. "Put your clothes back on!"

"Yeah, get dressed now," Ellie insisted. "Why are you doing this?"

"Well, I just don't want Dexter to forget what he's got at home waiting for him," Valerie explained, her voice showing no hint of shame. "I mean, he's not getting any action on _your_ side of the mirror, is he?"

"No, can't say that I am," Dexter replied to everyone's surprise. Then he continued. "Would you both mind leaving so Valerie and I can be alone?"

Valerie grinned at this and waited for her parents' responses.

Their faces began to twitch and it was obvious to her that the last thing they wanted to do was leave her and Dexter alone, but finally (and resentfully), they left, with her father giving a parting shot of, "Just remember that if you play with yourselves too much, you'll go blind."

When they were alone at last, Valerie finished stripping down and said, "You know, you really surprised me when you stood up for what you wanted like that. I'm proud of you."

"What?" Dexter asked after a little bit. His eyes had been roving over her body and he'd completely missed what she'd said. "Did you say something? Sorry I missed it. My mind was elsewhere."

"Good," Valerie grinned. "I was just saying that I was glad you stuck up for what you wanted like that. It makes me happy."

"Well, like you say, I'm not getting any over here and..." his voice went down to a whisper. "Being with your dad is tougher now that I'm in a place where I don't really have any way to take a break from him."

"Oh," Valerie giggled and then began doing a little dance. "You gonna strip down too? It's only fair."

"Right," Dexter nodded and did just that. "Sorry."

When they were both naked, they stared at one another for several minutes, touching themselves as one whispered sweet nothings to the other until they were rudely interrupted by a knock on the closet door.

"Mom says you can see Dad in there!" Vincent yelled. "She wants me to talk to him now! What are you doing in there, Valerie?"

"None of your business!" Valerie called back. "Go away!"

But the mood was broken. With a sigh, she began dressing again and Dexter did the same. "Now that we know how, we can do it again," he assured her. "Maybe at a time when we'll be certain not to be interrupted."

"That'll be for sure!" Valerie huffed. "It was good to see you, Dexter. Hopefully the wait until our next meeting won't be as long!"

"I hope it won't either," Dexter told her. "I love you, Valerie."

"I love you too," Valerie replied with a smile before blowing him a kiss and stomping out of the closet, throwing the jacket at her brother. "You have to hold onto that to talk to Dad," she snapped. "I hope he yells at you."

She then strode off and Vincent shook his head at her weirdness before heading to the closet himself and finding his father staring back at him from the mirror.

"Hello, Vincent," Lucifer told him. "Are you doing well?"

"No," Vincent sighed. "I'm not doing well at all!" He growled in frustration, a lock of dark hair hanging in his eyes. "I want Lauren and Nick and she is _ignoring_ me! I have half a mind to storm her apartment and bring them home to make her see reason!"

Lucifer sighed as his son's eyes went red. "I know that's where your head is and believe me, I understand, but...if my experience with your mother and our early difficulties taught me anything, it's that if you try to force Lauren to be with you, you're just gonna lose her. And do you want that?"

"No!" Vincent shook his head. "I do _not_ want that! That is exactly why this whole hellish situation is so hellish! And how come _she_ gets to be the victim and not admit that she did nothing wrong while always treating me like the only bad guy? I _know_ I screwed up! I _know_ I was selfish and impatient...but she was too! It would be a lot easier to deal with if she admitted she did wrong and it wasn't just me!"

"I know, Vincent, I know," Lucifer sighed. "But when you do most of the wrong, the downside is that the other person gets to have the moral high ground automatically." He paused. "But if you give Lauren the time that she needs, maybe she'll soften and admit her part in all this."

"How long will I have to wait?" Vincent asked.

"I don't know," Lucifer shrugged. "It might take a long time. But it'll be worth it in the end. Please don't do anything stupid or rash like you've already done. You'll thank yourself for it."

"All right," Vincent nodded and took a deep breath. "It'll be hard but I'll try and remember that. Maybe I'll enlist Christopher to help me."

"There you go!" Lucifer exclaimed. "That's an excellent idea!" He paused. "Anything else you want to tell me? If not, would you go get Angelica?"

"Sure," Vincent nodded and then bit his lip on a grin. "Be prepared for her to talk your ear off. She's got a lot to say, especially where Grandpa is concerned."

"Oh, dear," Lucifer sighed. "Poor girl."

"Yeah," Vincent chuckled. "Better her than me, though!"

He then left the closet and not long after, Angelica appeared, looking as exhausted as someone who'd dealt with his father _should_ look.

"Vincent says you've seen Dad a lot recently," He told her. "Everything okay?"

Angelica sighed, trying to keep her voice under control. "Does it _look_ like everything is okay, Daddy? This whole separation mess is _His_ fault! And before you ask, no I do _not_ know when He will undo it! He just said to trust Him, as you know, and that's it!"

"Bloody hell, I knew! Doesn't surprise me that Dad did this," Lucifer told her. "I figured as much. But that can't be the only reason why you're so worked up. Wanna talk about it?"

"No, I don't want to burden you with the other things He's doing," Angelica sighed. "It would probably scar you for life and I don't want to do that to you."

"What's happening?" Lucifer sighed. "Unburden yourself. Please."

"He's got the hots for Gwen Hamilton!" Angelica cried. "And He keeps wanting me to find _date_ spots for them! And leave her mushy notes like I'm Cyrano or something! Do you know how damn fucking awkward that is?" Her voice rose substantially as she said the last sentence, and Lucifer could tell she'd been holding in her frustration about this for some time.

"You can say 'No', you know," he told her. "You've said it to me. Saying it to Dad's not much different."

"Yes it is!" Angelica cried. "It's _totally_ different! Who knows what could happen if I tell Him 'No'?"

"Well, I don't think He'll be as tough on you as He was on me," Lucifer tried to assure his angst-ridden daughter who was struggling to breathe again. "Take a deep breath. Grab one of your mother's purses. There has to be one in easy reach."

"Yeah," Angelica nodded and began breathing into a black purse. "Okay."

"It'll be all right," Lucifer continued. "You're a very brave woman to deal with your grandfather as well as you have on your own. I'm proud of you. Hopefully I'll get back soon and we can sort this all out together."

"Yeah," Angelica nodded. "Thanks, Daddy. I miss you. I love you."

Lucifer grinned. "I miss and love you too, darling. But if you ever need to complain, just come in here and grab one of my suit jackets and there I'll be to lend an ear. All right?"

"Good," Angelica nodded. "Okay. That makes me feel better. I'm gonna go take a soak now. Or get someone to give me a massage."

"Go with the massage," Lucifer suggested. "Get rid of all that tension you're holding. It would be good for sure."

"Yeah," Angelica nodded. "I'll go do that now. Bye!"

Lucifer told his daughter goodbye, then Ellie returned and she and Lucifer talked a bit more before Ellie announced that she had to stop by her mother's house to try and get more information on what was going on between Sarah and Junior.

"I...do you really think just going over there and asking will get you the information you want?" Lucifer asked. "Clearly if there _is_ something going on with your parents, your mother wants to keep it a secret."

"I'll find it out," Ellie proclaimed, eyes narrowed. "Even if it kills me, I'll find out what they're up to."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that," Lucifer said. "But good luck!"

"Thanks!" Ellie gave him a smile. "And don't miss me too much!"

"I'm _always_ gonna miss you," he told her. "As long as you're not here, I'll miss you, Eleanor."

"Good," Ellie said. "Cause I really miss you too."

* * *

"How was your visit with your mother?" Lucifer questioned Ellie the next night. "Have you found anything else out, Eleanor? Or are you still in the dark about their alleged affair?"

"No, damn it!" Ellie cursed and stamped her foot. "Still in the dark! Every time I'd try to get her to talk about it, she'd just change the subject!"

"Well, it's easier for her to do that when she doesn't have Junior right in her face!" Lucifer pointed out. "Find some way to get them together and then the looks on their faces when they see one another should at least give you more of an idea."

"But how would I get them together?" Ellie sighed. "I'd have to lie, there's no doubt about that!"

"Well, yes but would you rather lie and get the answers you seek or _not_ lie and continue to be ignorant?" Lucifer questioned. "Now, what's one thing that would get both your parents to you without any hesitation?"

"I could pretend I was sick again," Ellie said. "Call Mom and call Junior saying I need their help cause I was horribly ill. That would work! I'll do it!"

"That's not gonna work," Lucifer shook his head. "You're a vampire and your parents know that. They're not gonna fall for the fake sick routine."

"Oh, I think you underestimate them," Ellie said. "I come from a family with overdeveloped parental instincts. If there's even a _chance_ that something is wrong with me, Mom will _at least_ want to investigate. She wouldn't just _ignore_ it. And Junior's a doctor with babies, so that would heighten his parental senses. It'll work."

"I don't know," Lucifer was still doubtful. "But I guess we'll see, won't we?"

"Yes we will," Ellie nodded. She paused. "Now enough about me. Anything you wanna report?"

"No, not really," Lucifer sighed warily. "My first vegetable crop should be coming in soon and I know I'll have fun with that, but it's not the same as being with you."

"It's nice to know I'm better than drugs," Ellie said, biting her lip on a smile.

"Well, of course you are! You know that!" Lucifer told her. "Maeve and Dexter are really boring. All they do is complain about wanting to go home when they know very well that we can't. Cause Angelica says Dad set this all up, like I suspected."

"Yep," Ellie sighed. "She told me that. All I know is this better go back to normal soon before I have another freak out."

"If you have to, it's fine," Lucifer assured her. "You don't even have to clean up the piano keys if you don't want to. I might like my furniture to have a touch of the macabre."

"Seriously?" Ellie asked. "Cause I can clean the blood up. That's fine."

"Whatever you want," Lucifer shook his head. "However you deal. Doesn't matter to me. Do whatever you need to do to try and be okay."

"You too," Ellie told him. Then she heard a beep. "That's my phone alarm. Gotta go take care of Noah before I go to Mom's. I might be back to talk after though."

"All right," Lucifer smiled. "Sounds good. Just don't forget to eat. And good luck getting stuff out of your mother."

"I won't," Ellie swore, reaching out to put her hand on the mirror. "I promise. And thanks for the encouragement about Mom. I think I'll need it."

* * *

Ellie made the calls as planned, trying to sound as weak and pathetic as possible so her parents would come to the house to see her, then put on a bathrobe and fuzzy slippers and stuck a thermometer in her mouth. She had to make the ruse at least _seem_ believable. It wasn't long before both her parents appeared, zapping themselves into the living room at the same time. Sarah held a microwavable container of soup and Junior was wearing his work jacket and a tongue depressor in his hand and a stethoscope around his neck.

"What's wrong?" They asked at the same time, running to her, then bumped into one another, and started.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sarah asked Sean, wide eyed. "She called _me!_ "

"Well, she called me too, and _I'm_ the doctor!" Sean told her. "So you can take your soup and your-" he sniffed. "...eau de Snickerdoodle and leave! How _dare_ you show up somewhere at the same time as me and smell like cookies?"

"I was baking when Ellie called!" Sarah yelled. "What, I'm not allowed to _bake_ now?"

"Not when you know you're gonna be anywhere near me, you-" Sean began, then reached out to grab her, nearly kissing her before he pushed her away. They stepped away and took a deep breath. The air was thick with lust. Ellie could feel it.

Sarah then paused. "I don't even know what we're so worried for! She's a _vampire_! She can't be sick randomly! And she knows that!" She put her hands on her hips and faced her daughter. "What's going on, Eleanor?"

"I just wanted to talk to you two," Ellie told her. "And I knew I wouldn't get you both here unless I lied."

"Well, if you don't need us, we'll just be going then," Junior replied. They were both blushing because of their daughter's trick.

"Oh, no, you're staying right here!" Ellie told them and took the robe off to reveal her jeans and shirt. "Come with me to my closet, please. I have a surprise for you."

"We can't," Junior said, trying not to touch Sarah, even though her skin looked very soft and she smelled like cookies, as he'd noted before. "We're very busy today. We-"

"Closet," Ellie said firmly. " _Now_."

"Why?" Sarah asked after zapping the soup into the refrigerator. "What do you want us in your closet for?"

"Just go with it, okay?" Ellie snapped. "Don't ask questions!" She crowded her parents into the bedroom and then ordered them to sit down on chairs in front of the mirror before asking them to hold onto Lucifer's coat. After that, Junior opened his mouth to ask why, but quickly shut it when Ellie gave him a look. "It's called a surprise," she said. "So I can't tell you a thing, can I?"

Her parents sat in awkward silence, trying their best not to look at or touch each other, their widening in shock (and possibly fear), the few times their fingers inadvertently brushed each other. As they had a history of avoiding one another, this could have just been shrugged off as normal behavior, but Ellie sensed there was more. That the lust she felt wasn't just a fluke.

It didn't take long after that for Lucifer to appear. "Well, hello there, you two," he said with a grin. "Eleanor told me I'd be seeing you. So glad it worked out. We really need to have a chat, don't we?"

"No, we don't!" Sarah shook her head and faced her daughter. "What's he doing there? I thought you two were separated!"

"Well, we found a way to talk to each other," Lucifer said. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Oh, yes, I'm very happy for you," Sarah replied and tried to get up. She was blushing furiously. "Now, if that's all you wanted to say, I should be on my way now. So many things to do!"

"Sit back down in the chair!" Ellie commanded forcefully and then said in a much nicer tone, "Please." Then she gave her mother a gentle push back into the chair, and Junior was smart enough to stay right where he was.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured her. "I promise."

"Sorry about that," Ellie apologized. "it's just that...I wasn't done talking yet. I think there are things you both need to get out into the open with me, right? Some secret you're hiding? Come on, you can tell me. I bet it's not that bad!"

"Nothing is going on!" Junior tried to assure her. "Your mother and I are just busy, that's all. And with our history, you know things can be weird between us! That's nothing new! We're not hiding anything."

"I call bullshit on this, Eleanor," Lucifer told her. "Don't believe a word of it. He's hiding something from you for sure. Can't you feel it?" He then grinned at his in-laws. "Sorry for interrupting," he said pleasantly. "Please, go on."

But instead of speaking, they just stared at him in shock, shaking their heads, their lips pursed.

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked Lucifer, wanting to give him the chance to say what she knew about her parents' lust because he seemed to want to so badly. "If they won't tell me, will you?"

"I don't want to hear this," Sarah huffed and got up. "I'm leaving."

"Can you _feel_ the sexual tension in the room?" Lucifer asked Ellie. "It's such an enclosed space that it should be obvious that your birth parents still have feelings for each other that they don't want to deal with out in the open."

That made Junior rise, his voice full of indignation, his hands balled into fists. "How dare you!" He got out. "If you weren't somewhere else, I would punch you in the face for that!" He tried to relax his body, but it didn't work. Sarah put a hand on his arm and tried to pull him away from the mirror before he punched it and hurt himself.

"It's okay," she said. "We need to go now." They were still blushing as she pulled him away. Then Ellie got it. She turned to meet Lucifer's eyes, her own bright. "Are you saying, are they... _really?"_ Her tone was extremely exaggerated as she spoke. _  
_

"Are they having sex, fucking, doing the nasty...whatever you want to call it, yes they are!" Lucifer exclaimed.

"Oh, my gosh!" Ellie burst out laughing and slapped her forehead continuing to act as if this was all new to her. "Of course they are! I can't believe...I mean, I suspected, but..." She grinned at her parents, trying to show them she wasn't horrified, disgusted, or angry.

"Why are you grinning?" Lucifer asked her. "You're not supposed to grin!" He was half-joking. "Remember your decision to make them endlessly itchy!"

"I thought you said that was a wimpy punishment!" Ellie told him.

"Well being relentlessly itchy, even for only twenty-four hours, is no picnic, so I'll let it slide," Lucifer told her.

"What are you telling our daughter to do to us?" Junior raged. "When you get back here, I'm _definitely_ kicking your ass."

"I'd like to see you try," Lucifer told him smugly. "You can't do me any real damage, can you?" He paused and then grinned at Ellie. "Isn't it nice to see him finally protecting your mother's honor, though? It's a lovely change from the past for sure."

"You told me I can't smile or be happy about this," Ellie reminded him. "Make up your mind, would you?"

"Eleanor, make him stop right this minute!" Sarah demanded of her daughter. The situation was tough enough without them being made fun of for it.

"I will if you can look me in the eye and swear to his Dad that you're not doing what he says," Ellie told her. "Can you do that?"

Sarah and Junior both looked at one another, then at Ellie, and tried to open their mouths, but quickly hung their heads instead, glad to be looking at the floor for once and not their daughter.

"Oh, my gosh!" Ellie began dancing around and clapping. "It's true! It's true! I knew my radar wasn't on the fritz!"

"What did I tell you?" Lucifer asked. He was grinning too.

But it didn't take long before Ellie realized something that made her glee disappear. "But what about Josh and Hannah? What about Maeve and the girls?" She asked. "This is bad. This is very, _very_ bad!"

"We know, which is why we're really trying hard to kick the habit," Junior assured her. "We know it's bad. We know it has to stop. We're not idiots."

"Well, good!" Ellie told him. "You keep working on that because if you had to come down to Hell, I don't think it would be fair for me to give you special, easy treatment just because I'm your daughter. That's a road I _really_ don't want to go down."

"Actually, it's really not that hard to confine your troublesome parent," Lucifer told her helpfully. "I did. I have no regrets."

"Well, yeah, but you hate your mother so that's different," Ellie reminded him before turning her attention back to her parents. "All right, now that I have all I need, you can go about your business."

That was something Sarah and Junior were all too happy to do. They left the house and when the door closed behind them, Sarah got out, "Well, that was embarrassing."

"I know, but don't you feel better that it's out in the open now?" Sean got out. "I sort of do." He paused, reaching out to move a strand of Sarah's dark hair out of her eyes. "You know, you smell nice," he got out, running his hand down her arm.

"Oh, don't do that!" Sarah countered. "Remember we promised Ellie we wouldn't!"

"What's one more time?" Junior asked, his voice intimate and seductive. "Then that'll be it, I swear!"

"Fine," Sarah sighed. She felt well enough so why not? "One more time and then it's absolutely the last!"

"Right," Junior nodded. "Exactly!" He took her in his arms and zapped them both home. Soon they were both naked and rolling around on his bed, with her stretching in all different ways. But as she rode him, she was overcome by a wave of nausea. Not being able to get to the bathroom on time, she threw up all over Junior and the bed, effectively killing the mood.

"Oh, geez!" Junior cried as she apologized profusely. "Oh, damn!"

"I know that was gross," she said. "I wouldn't have agreed to this if I'd known I was gonna be sick! I felt fine before! I've not felt sick for _days_!"

"You've been feeling ill?" Junior asked, going to clean himself off and then putting his doctor hat on. "What are your symptoms?"

"Headache, nausea, dizziness, pain...and I think...I think..." She took several breaths. "I think I don't need to say what I've been without for the last month. Me being sick like this proves what's going on, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Junior nodded. Then he grinned. "But you and Josh are having a kid, so...that's good, right?"

Sarah burst into tears then. "I haven't slept with Josh!" She got out. "This can't be his. Oh, geez! I can't do this again! I just can't!"

" _What?_ It's _mine_? Why the hell isn't it _Josh's_? _"_ Junior got out, his eyes widening. He _wanted_ to feel happy, but the idea of being happy also made him feel guilty because he and Sarah weren't even together and Josh was a good man. Then he saw the look on Sarah's face, the one of fear that she was gonna be abandoned again and pain about being alone, and changed his tune, giving her a smile. "It'll be okay," He said, putting his arms around her. "I'm not going anywhere. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."


	12. Picking Your Battles

"Something came for you," Toni told Lauren as her sister fed Nick in his bedroom. "Very official. You want me to be here while you open it?"

"Sure," Lauren nodded. "Just a minute. I'm almost done."

After he had been fed and burped and changed, Lauren put Nick back in his bed and she and Toni sat down in the living room to open the envelope.

"It says it's from the firm of Madelin, Madelin, & Cutler," Lauren remarked. "That's a really fancy firm. They represent a lot of rich people. I wonder what they would want with me."

But it didn't take long to find out.

"Vincent got a lawyer and he wants me to come to court for a meeting about Nicky?" She yelled. "That asshole! What does he think he's doing?" She looked at Toni. "What should I do? I can't afford a lawyer good enough to beat Vincent! Even with our grandparents' money!"

"So go and try and talk some sense into him," Toni shrugged. "Wear something sexy. It might distract him enough that he'll give you anything you want!"

"Toni!" Lauren frowned. "Don't suggest that. It's terrible! Not to mention underhanded. No, I'm taking the high road. I'm going to treat Vincent like an adult and if we discuss this misunderstanding like reasonable people, I'm sure we can reach a solution."

"Yeah, sure," Toni scoffed and took the letter from her sister. "Good luck with that." She paused and took the letter, looking it over. "Before you just march over there, what are you going to do about this? If you're not gonna be sexy, how are you gonna convince him to see your side when he's gonna have a cadre of the best lawyers and you know you won't be able to afford a halfway decent one?"

"I told you," Lauren said firmly, "I'm gonna go alone and try and talk some sense into Vincent. I don't need a lawyer to do that." She straightened up, cleared her throat, and grabbed her purse. "I need to go buy myself some new clothes if I'm gonna look the least bit impressive for the court date. You mind watching Nicky while I do that?"

"Of course," Toni nodded. "I still think you should wear something sexy, though."

"No," Lauren replied firmly. "Thanks for watching Nick. I won't be gone long, I swear."

* * *

Though she'd been confident the day she'd gotten the letter, as she walked into the lawyer's office in her new dusty pink suit and heels, Lauren felt that confidence begin to falter a little. Toni was right: she didn't have any legs to stand on against Vincent's lawyers and what if he wasn't feeling merciful? What if he crushed her like a bug and she never saw her son again? She couldn't bear that!

The horror of that eventuality almost brought her to tears right there in the hallway, but because she didn't want anyone to see her cry, she straightened up, took a deep breath, and resolved to fight tooth and nail so that she wouldn't lose her son to his irresponsible father.

She found the right room and opened the door, telling the woman at the reception desk what she was there for, and was then led to a room with a long table in it. Lawyers sat on either side and stared at her as she made her way inside. She saw Vincent too. He gave her a wide smile and came to meet her and take her hand.

"Thanks for coming," he told her.

"No problem," Lauren replied tartly. "How could I resist a summons like that? Is that a new suit? I don't think it fits you all that well." The truth was that it did. He looked wonderful and he probably knew that. Damn him!

"You look good too," Vincent returned as she took her seat. "I see you got new clothes specifically for this."

"Couldn't show up looking like I just fell off the turnip truck, right?" Lauren asked, putting one leg over the other. "I'n no fool. I wanted to make a good first impression on all these distinguished people."

They didn't get to say much more to each other before his lawyer, a tall blonde woman with big blue eyes, white teeth, a peroxide blonde hairdo, and a tan, called the session to order.

"How long will we have to wait for your lawyer?" She asked Lauren, adjusting her navy blue suit that was too tight worn over a white blouse that was cut way too low for court. "We don't have all day, you know."

"Oh, we can start whenever you want," Lauren told her. "I don't have a lawyer. I'm representing myself because I think Vincent and I are mature people who can handle this situation without a lot of fighting."

This made everyone at the table mutter to each other. Some even laughed. The surprise on Vincent's face when he met her eyes again was incredibly satisfying. Eventually they quieted down and things finally began.

"We are here today," Vincent's lawyer began, locking eyes with Lauren, "because as you know, your husband, Vincent Morningstar, requests custody of your son, Nicholas Morningstar, because he feels that at present, you are an ineffective parent. That your dark moods and outbursts put your son in danger. However, when he is given custody, he's willing to pay for the therapy required to fix your problems and will allow you to reside in his home once more."

Lauren heard all this and felt as if she'd been slapped. Everything the woman had just said was ludicris. Not a word of it was true!

Despite her resolve to keep her temper and be civil, Lauren lost it. She wouldn't be wrongly portrayed just so Vincent could take Nick away!

"I don't know what bullshit and lies he's been telling you!" She cried, jabbing a finger in Vincent's direction, her eyes wide. "But I am not mentally ill! I've never had any outbursts that put my son in danger! He's a liar and a snake who's trying to ruin my life! He's-" She stopped talking, suddenly realizing that maybe she wasn't helping her case.

Vincent had risen to his feet and his hand was on her arm. He was looking at her with a look of pity that was infuriating. "You'll have to excuse my wife, everyone. She lost her parents and family home in a fire and it's left her mentally unhinged ever since. I thought things were improving, but apparently the bad days are still happening. But it's okay. I just want to help you get better!"

"I don't want him to take my son away from me," Lauren remarked firmly, scowling at Vincent and pulling her arm out of his grip. "That's the whole point of all this. He just wants to take Nick away so I never see him again!"

"On the contrary," his lawyer countered. "Your husband is willing to let you have supervised visitiation with Nicholas while you're undergoing treatment. But if you choose not to do that, something else is going to have to be done."

"And what's that?" Lauren asked.

The lawyer took a file out of her briefcase and put it on the table. "It's all in there for you to read," she said. "Take your time to look through it."

Lauren did so and gave Vincent a swift kick in the shin. What was in the file was a paper that said she wouldn't have to undergo the treatment if she agreed to move back into Vincent's house and make love to him three times a day. "Is this a serious thing?" She hissed as Vincent winced and hobbled beside her. "I cannot believe you did this! If you're trying to get me back, you're doing a lousy job. Candy and chocolate and an apology work better, for future reference." Then she grabbed a nearby glass of water and tossed it in Vincent's direction. It soaked his face and suit, and made him cough as it got up his nose.

His lawyer quickly handed him a towel and after he was dry, Lauren looked around the table.

"What the hell kind of law firm is this that would actually draw up an agreement like that?" She questioned. "It's disgusting! It's immoral! What's wrong with you people?" Her cheeks were red and her hair was falling out of its do into her face but she didn't care. She wanted answers.

"Mrs. Morningstar-" one of the lawyers began.

"Lambert!" Lauren hissed, cutting him off. "My name is Lauren Lambert."

"All right," the lawyer conceded. "Ms. Lambert, then. I assure you that under the law, the contract that we've drawn up is completely legitimate. Just because you don't like the terms, that doesn't make it illegal."

"Don't mind her, Mr. Cutler," Vincent told him. "It's that temper of hers flaring up again. She has trouble controlling it. She's not saying you're bad at your job at all. I'm sure she has the utmost respect for you and your abilities."

Lauren's eyes narrowed and she gave him a good, hard slap. "You want a show of temper, Vincent? I'll give you a show of temper, you asshole!" She paused and took the file. "But first, I'm getting rid of this!" She tossed it in the trash and then continued to yell. "You stay away from me and Nick or I'll make sure you never enjoy sex or father children ever again! I promise you that!" She then strode out of the office without another word and didn't return for several minutes.

When she did appear again at last, she'd regained her composure and looked at everyone. "I apologize for my outburst," she got out in a calmer voice. "May I...may I speak to Vincent alone now, please? I'm ready to work something out."

"I don't know..." his lawyer began as the others got up and left the room.

"It's okay, Maureen," Vincent told her. "You can go too. I'll be fine. You know she can't really hurt me."

Maureen Madelin looked doubtful, but left with the others and Lauren and Vincent found themselves alone and staring at each other from opposite sides of the table.

"This really sucks," Lauren finally got out. "Please just tell me what the hell you're trying to accomplish."

"I just want our family back together," Vincent told her. "That's all. I don't know why you're being so stubborn! What have I don't wrong? I've really really missed you!"

"And if you'd been patient and let me decide when to come back, I'd have done it," Lauren told him. "But after this stunt, let me tell you, I don't like you so much! Why would you tell your lawyers I'm mentally ill when you know damn well I'm not?"

Vincent shrugged. "Well, I had to give my lawyers a reason to do all this and that was the first one that popped into my head. And if I may say, you're doing a bad job of proving me wrong!" He paused. "And really, what's so bad about the terms? We used to have fun. How do you think Nick got here in the first place? You might not like what I'm doing but you can't deny there's a part of you that still finds me attractive. I saw how you looked me over when you came into the room."

"I was just shocked you knew how to dress in something other than what a person would wear to a night club," Lauren responded. "That's why I was staring. And I feel nothing for you. Nothing at all."

"Oh, yeah?" Vincent raised an eyebrow. "Would you be willing to have sex with me right now to prove it?"

"Right now?" Lauren's eyes widened. "Right here, in this office?"

"Yeah, unless you're afraid," Vincent pressed. "Some of that rage you keep showing is pent up sexual frustration. You haven't had any since we split up, have you?"

"You don't know that!" Lauren shook her head. "I could have been with lots of guys!"

"No," Vincent shook his head, slowly coming around the table until he was right in her space. "I would know if you had. I know what you look like when you've been satisfied and you're way too tightly wound for that to have happened." He reached out and gently stroked the bare skin above the neck of Lauren's shirt with his fingers. And as much as Lauren hated to admit it, it had been long enough for her that even that slight touch made her feel as if she'd been shocked. She gave him a push, and that was even more of a mistake.

"Are you okay?" Vincent grinned. "Anything I can do to help?"

"You can shut up!" She replied and grabbed him by his lapels. "That's what you can do!" Then she kissed him soundly before pushing him back onto the table and unzipping him, then letting him sit up just long enough to help her get her panties off before she got up on the table, straddled him, and rode him hard. It felt good. Such release! And they weren't particularly quiet either.

"Hush!" She said, putting a hand over his mouth. "Do you want the lawyers to come in here and see us?"

"Oh, I'm sure that would be the most exciting part of their day!" Vincent whispered back as Lauren took her hair down and shook it so he could smell the scent of her shampoo.

"I missed that," he said appreciatively and inhaled before she thrust forward again.

"Yeah," she said. "I bet you did!"

He grinned and reached up to cup her bottom. "Still nice and firm," he said appreciatively, giving it a squeeze. "That's good to know."

Then they heard a knock at the door. "Everything okay in there?" Maureen called. "It's quiet. Mr. Morningstar, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Vincent called back as he and Lauren separated and helped each other right their clothes. "I'm all right, Maureen, I promise."

* * *

"Well, something's changed, Father," the taller of two angels announced as they strode into his Father's section of Heaven. What had once been gold and silver and light was now looking like an earthly living room and he winced as a dog approached and tried to lick him. "Found something you liked on Earth?"

"Yes," Dad said. "I'm not going to be away from it very long but I still missed it."

"I know it's not right to ask why you've come," the young man replied, sitting down on the sofa. He had a fine-featured face, dark brown eyes and hair, and a thin face with pronounced cheekbones. "But I'm curious. If you don't intend to stay, why did you come back?"

"Because I have a job for you and Michael, Gabriel," Dad replied. "But I want to wait to explain it until he gets here because it's something the two of you have to work together on."

"Why is it that you ask him to do anything?" Gabriel whined. "You know that whenever you ask him to do something, he just gets distracted by drink or...or...lust and leaves me to do it all."

"This time it could be different," Dad explained. "He'll have to keep a close eye on a woman. Well, she's not a woman yet, but she will be. That might pique your brother's interest. It worked with Samael."

So they waited and finally, Michael stumbled into the room, a bottle of wine in his hand and a grin on his face, his dark eye bright, his curly dark hair wild. He had been right behind his brother, but hadn't stayed there. "Sorry I'm late," he said. "I just...I got waylaid..."

"Sit down, Michael," Dad instructed as Gabriel sighed. "I've got a job for you and your brother...on Earth."

"Fun!" Michael grinned. "Sign me up! I've missed the booze, the cigarettes, the sex, and the drugs!"

"Oh, I'm sure we won't have any time for that," his brother admonished him. "You shouldn't be thinking you're going there for fun when I'm sure we'll be working."

"Why can't we do a bit of both?" Michael questioned with a shrug. "I don't think a little fun would hurt you."

Gabriel ignored this remarked and turned back to his Father. "What would you like us to do on earth?" He asked.

"You'll be watching over two girls," Dad said. "They're babies now, but they'll soon be teenagers."

Michael scowled at that. "What kind of joke is that?" He asked. "Guardian angel duty is only worth it when I'm watching over ladies with bodies to die for, not silly little girls!"

"Don't mind him," Gabriel said. "Who are these poor children you want us to look after?"

"I can't tell you yet," Dad replied. "But please guard them and guide them the best you can. They...their mother is going to leave them soon and I want to make sure it doesn't put them down a bad path. Their names are Alexandra and Emma."

"Yes, Father," Gabriel nodded and gave a small bow. "When would you like us to leave?"

"There's no rush," Dad told him. "The girls aren't even around yet. You don't have to leave now."

"I want us to leave now," Michael urged with a twinkle in his eye and pulled at Gabriel. "It could be a chance for my brother to have a little fun. See what pleasures earth has to offer."

"Oh, and don't forget to look for Angelica when you get there!" Dad called after them as He watched them go. "She'll help you settle in!"

* * *

"So who do you think this Angelica is?" Michael asked with a grin once they'd arrived on earth, now in jeans and t-shirts and sneakers. "I hope she's pretty."

"And I hope you're joking!" Gabriel replied. "She's off limits! You can't have her!"

"Why?" Michael asked, grinning. "Have you seen her already? Do you want her for yourself?"

Gabriel just shook his head and looked heavenward. Why couldn't Dad ever let him work alone?

They they soon found themselves at a restaurant by the beach, and saw a young woman sitting alone at a table, reading the newspaper.

"That must be her," Gabriel whispered. "Don't you sense something Divine about her?"

She then looked up from her paper, giving them a good look at her face. "Oh, she's divine all right," Michael replied with a grin. "I'm gonna go introduce myself!"

He strode over to the table before Gabriel could stop him and took Angelica's paper away. "Hello, beautiful," he said to her. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Angelica would it?"

"Yeah," Angelica stood up and snatched her paper back, giving him a frown. "Who in the world are you?"

"I'm the man of your dreams," Michael replied. "Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?"

"Oh, yeah," Angelica nodded. "My boyfriend tells me all the time. Now, if all you're talking to me for is because you want to hit on me, I suggest you go away."

"Actually, our Father sent us," Gabriel informed her as he grinned at the frustrated look on Michael's face because his brother was not used to being turned down by women. "He told us to look for you when we came to earth. Said you would help us get acclimated, Angelica."

She froze and looked them over, eyes narrowed, arms crossed. "Let me guess," she got out, her tone dry. "You're complete strangers to me that showed up out of nowhere, yet you seem to know who I am. Or at least _one_ of you does. You're from my father's side of the family, aren't you?"

"Yes," Gabriel told her. "Your grandfather is God and your aunts and uncles are-"

"-Angels," Angelica finished. "Oh, I know all that. I mean, it was a shock when Grandpa showed up out of nowhere at the hospital where I was working and told me who He was, but I'm used to Dad's family members showing up without warning now." She paused and her eyes widened."Why are you here? Is it because Grandpa found out about my online campaign to make a horror movie where the Antichrist is a girl and not a boy? Cause really, that was just a story idea. I wasn't plotting evil or anything."

"No, we just...it's nothing about that," Gabriel quickly assured her. "Dad wants us to look after some little girls. You just have to show us around, if that's all right with you."

"Oh," Angelica blushed. "Well, forget the rest of the stuff I said then."

Michael was still looking at Angelica with a mix of frustration and confusion. "Would you excuse us for a second?" He asked her. "I need to have a word with my brother."

"Oh, sure," Angelica replied. "Take all the time you need. I can wait."

So Michael led Gabriel several feet away and spoke in a low voice. "Just who in the world is that?"

"Do you ever listen to anything Dad says?" Gabriel questioned. "If you did, then I'm sure you would have realized not to put moves on your own niece, you idiot!"

Michael's dark eyes widened. "She's related to us? Who does she belong to?"

"Lucifer," Gabriel sighed. "Dad's told us time and again about Eleanor and Lucifer and their children, remember? Angelica especially." He paused. "But then again, I'm not surprised you didn't listen. If it's not about you, then you just don't."

"Why should I listen to something if it's not about me?" Michael asked. "I'm incredibly interesting! Now, we should probably go back there and ask Angelica to find the girls we're looking for, should we not? You're the one who wanted to get to work and now here you are lollygagging and yelling at me!"

Gabriel sighed and they made their way back to Angelica. "Just two more favors," he requested. He thought it would be best if Michael didn't speak to her anymore. "One, we're looking for some little girls named Alexandra and Emma. They're who we're supposed to look after. I know it's a long shot, but...are those names familiar to you?"

"Yeah, I know of an Alexandra and an Emma who are little," Angelica told them. "But they're not exactly here right now. They're...somewhere else. And it's Grandpa's doing. I'm surprised he sent you all the way here without telling you that." She paused. "What's the other favor?"

"Don't tell your father we're here just yet," Gabriel requested as Michael snickered about his dad being called 'Grandpa' by someone. "Please?"

"Sure," Angelica nodded. "And where are you planning on living? I suppose since I'm the welcome wagon, I can help with that too."

"Thank you," Gabriel replied. "We appreciate it." He paused. "I'm your uncle Gabriel, by the way," he said, before gesturing at his brother. "And that's Michael right there." He paused. "And Dad _did_ tell us about Lexie and Emma before we left. I just forgot."

* * *

Meanwhile, it was obvious to Sammy that this whole situation with her grandfather was stressing Angelica out unduly, so while she dealt with the craziness that was her family, he spent time looking at his mother's spell books to see if there was anything in them that could undo what her grandfather had done. Even though that probably wasn't possible, he would have felt terrible if he hadn't at least tried to help. When they were finally able to see each other again, he wanted to put a smile on her face.

But when she finally strode into the apartment, another idea came into his mind…something to assure himself that he was still a priority on her list.

"All right," he announced as she put her coat away. "I have…I have an announcement to make."

"Yeah?" Angelica asked. "What's that?"

"Well, you and I haven't seen one another a lot lately," he told her. "So I'm thinking that it might make things a lot less stressful for you if we just broke up."

"What?" Angelica howled. "How in the hell would that be less stressful for me?" She grabbed him and began shaking him. "You're the one thing in my life that is not stressful and making me want to die, so you better be joking or I'm gonna kill you!"

Sammy chuckled and pulled her close, kissing her hair. "Well, since you asked nicely," he told her with a wink. "So we won't break up. How about I kiss you and grab that lovely round ass of yours instead?"

"Oh, don't you start that!" She cried and began pounding on his chest. "I'm not done being mad at you! You shouldn't make jokes about breaking up with me!"

"Really?" He grinned and pushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "You mean you'll stick with me always? I'll be your only boyfriend, even if I become a hideous monster?"

"Well, that's a strange hypothetical question, but of course!" Angelica nodded and tousled his hair. "We could get through that! I'd just be darker with you! It's enduring two more of Dad's family members come to earth that worries me more." She waited for him to ask for more information about this statement, but his mind suddenly seemed to be elsewhere. His eyes were locked on the opposite wall and he was frowning.

"Sammy?" She asked, cupping his face in her hands and making him look her in the eye. "Sammy, what's the matter? Are you okay?"

Sammy nodded and gave her a smile. "It's nothing," he shook his head. "I just...I thought I saw a shadow and it was moving but now it's gone. Pretty silly, huh?" He paused. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

Angelica gave him a smile. "With my family, I pretty much believe in everything." She paused. "Why?"

He shuddered and shook his head, giving a nervous chuckle. "I don't know. I just had this horrible feeling that something was watching us...was going to hurt us. But like I said, it's gone now, so I probably imagined it. No worries!" He thought she would laugh or freak out or tell him not to be silly, but she didn't.

"You really think you saw a ghost or something?" She asked him seriously. "That you really felt darkness?"

"Yeah," Sammy nodded. "I'm surprised you didn't. That's what makes me think that maybe it wasn't real."

"Well, if you really think you felt something, I don't think we should ignore it completely," Angelica said. "You aren't feeling anything now?"

"I'm feeling plenty of things," he said with a grin and kissed her. "Just not the darkness. Not anymore."

"Well, if you feel it again, don't hesitate to tell me," Angelica urged. "We'll get to the bottom of it."

"Good," Sammy smiled. "Now let's kiss, shall we?"

They did, stripping down to their underwear and heading to bed in the process. And when they finally paused for breath, what Angelica had said about her family coming seemed to register. "Sorry I didn't say anything earlier," he told her. "But did you tell me that more members of your dad's family showed up here on earth?"

"Yeah, I did," Angelica nodded. "Two more of Dad's brothers. I was sure they knew who I was, but one of them hit on me, which was weird. Anyway, though, we'll talk about that later. Weren't we kissing?"

"Yeah," Sammy nodded and took her in his arms again, slipping off her bra, sliding off her panties, and tasting her at a slow and leisurely pace and then grinning at her pleased expression. "We were."


	13. The Truth Comes Out

"..There now, you rest and wait while I go and get your test results," Sarah's OB/GYN told her later. Dr. Andrews was a wonderful woman. So patient, so calm...and not judgmental at all...not that she knew Josh wasn't the father of the baby Sarah was carrying. But if she had known, she wouldn't judge her for it.  
The doctor left to get Sarah's sample tested but just as it was time to tell Sarah the results, she was paged. She left, hoping the first doctor she bumped into could spare enough time for Sarah.  
"Doctor Mikaelson!" She told Junior a few seconds later, "I have a patient who is waiting for pregnancy test results in room six." She thrust the folder at him. "Would you mind telling her the good news? I have to go deal with another emergency."  
"Sure," Junior nodded. He was on his way out for the day, but he could spare a few minutes. "No problem. I wonder if the daddy will be there to hear the news too."  
She smiled. "It's always nice when both parents hear, isn't it?" She asked.  
Junior smiled back and then made his way to room six, his nose buried in the file. He only looked up to make sure he was going into the right room and then went back to reading, noting that the woman he would be giving news to was named Sarah.  
"All right, Miss Sarah...I'm Doctor Mikaelson. Dr. Andrews has been called away but I'm here to tell you that your results say..." Then he looked up and saw just who he was telling the news to. Sarah. _His_ Sarah was in a gown and on the table with her feet in stirrups. They looked at each other in shock and then Junior began muttering incoherently as he bent down to pick up the file, then straightened up and cleared his throat.  
Finally Sarah got out, "You're gonna be a daddy again. I really _am_ carrying your baby."  
"Yeah," Junior grinned and chuckled as Sarah got her feet out of the stirrups and sat normally on the table so he could come and embrace her. He planned to just hold her for a few seconds, but as was the case with them, a few seconds became longer. The embrace led to a kiss, long and hot. A break for breath, and then another and another, as their fingers threaded through each other's hair and they nibbled on each other's necks, their breaths picking up as the normally cool hospital room suddenly became very warm.  
"Okay, that's enough," Junior panted at last. "You're not wearing any underwear right now so if we keep going...if we keep going..." He picked up her underwear and skirt off a chair and said, "I think you better put them on."  
"Yeah, okay," Sarah agreed and hopped off the table.  
Junior turned his back until Sarah said she was set and then he sat down and took her hand. "That's the _last_ time we do that. I _mean_ it this time."  
"You're right," Sarah nodded. "At least until we get things settled with Maeve and Josh. I think he's starting to get suspicious! Or he'll _start_ being so since he's smart."

Junior smirked. "How mad will he get? I thought he was saintly enough that Ellie's father-in-law will give him a halo some day."  
Just then his phone rang. He saw that it was his mother calling. He wondered why. It wasn't because he was late picking up the girls...although he should have left work some time ago. He put the phone up to his ear. "Mom? What's up? Is everything okay?"  
"Oh, it's perfect!" His mother cried. She sounded on the verge of tears. "Sean, I don't know how, but the girls are back! Your daughters are at the house again!"  
"They are?" Sean asked in surprise. "The girls are back? That's amazing! I'm just leaving work right now. Bring them to my house and I'll meet you there. Watch them like a hawk until I get home."  
"Oh, that's not a problem," Mary promised. "They're not going anywhere!"  
He ended the call and Sarah said, "The girls are back from wherever it was that they went? That's nice."  
"They were with Maeve and Lucifer," Junior said. "Did I tell you that? I hope seeing them gave her some comfort wherever she is."  
"Can I come with you to see them?" Sarah asked excitedly. "Please? I'm just so happy that they're okay! I've been worried too."  
"Sure," Sean nodded. "Why not?"  
So Sarah got her bill paid for the appointment and then she and Junior headed to his parents' house where Mary met them at the door with one twin in each arm. She didn't have time to speak before Junior took his daughters back, tears of joy and relief streaming down his cheeks as he carried them to a sofa and sat down.  
"My girls," he kept saying. "My beautiful, beautiful girls! You're back with Daddy. You're safe."  
It was while this was going on that Mary's eyes landed on Sarah. who sat in a chair nearby, watching the happy reunion with a smile, but saying nothing. "So nice of you to come, Sarah," she remarked. "It's been some time. How's Ellie?"  
"She's good," Sarah smiled. "She found a way to see Lucifer, so...I think that made her feel much better about their separation."  
"Good," Mary nodded. "Good. I have to say, I was surprised when you and Sean came through the door together."  
"Well, I was there when you called him about them coming and I've been worrying too since I took care of them before so I thought I would come and share in the joy of this happy moment," Sarah explained.  
Then Sean took over cause he could hear Sarah struggling to answer his mother's badgering questions. "She had an appointment at the hospital," he explained. "I ran into her just as I was leaving and that's why we were together when you called," he told Mary. "You can stop giving her the third degree now."  
"Oh, I wasn't," Mary said. "I hope you didn't think I was...I was just a little surprised is all. You don't have to be so defensive, son."  
They sat in awkward silence for a few seconds and then Sarah rose to her feet. "I think I should be going now," she told them all. "I just came to share in the joy of the girls returning but I don't want to overstay my welcome. Nice to see you, Mary. Sean. Goodbye!" She then bolted from the room without another word, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Once they got over the abruptness of Sarah's departure, Mary took Emma in her lap while Junior still kept a grip on Lexie who seemed kind of out of sorts. "You wanna tell me what just happened?" His mother asked him. "That was one of the weirder encounters I've had with Sarah. Is she okay? What is going on with the two of you?"  
Junior thought of lying or changing the subject, but he'd never successfully lied to his mother in his whole life. "I love her," he said simply. "I love Sarah so much!"  
"That's it?" Mary asked, seeming underwhelmed. "I know that already. I thought it was something new and surprising. Your father knows too."  
"I know it's bad for me to think because things have been complicated between us. I tried to start a life with Maeve and she tried with Josh, but..." Junior trailed off.  
"But Maeve isn't Sarah," Mary finished, shaking her head so that her red hair bounced on her shoulders. "And Josh isn't you."  
"Sarah loves me too," He was quick to assure her. "I'm not just trying to steal her away to satisfy my own feelings that aren't returned."  
"I know that," Mary assured him. "Love can make you do stupid things but I know you wouldn't be that stupid." She grinned. "So she finally realized that she loves you, huh?" She scoffed. "Took the girl long enough."  
"And now she's pregnant again!" Junior burst out, wanting to get everything off his chest at once. "With my baby, not Josh's before you ask! That's why she was at the hospital! To take the official test! And then her doctor was called away and asked me to be the one to give Sarah the results!" He chuckled. "You know, when I had no idea Sarah was the person I would tell, I told Dr. Andrews that I hoped the baby's father would be there to hear the news about his child too."  
"And you were," Mary grinned. "I hope you're planning to go to the appointment where you find out whether you're having a girl or a boy too."  
"Well, based on the fact that so far, I've only fathered girls, I don't think I'll be in for much of a surprise, but of course I'll go to that appointment," Junior assured her.  
"You might just have a boy this time," Mary shrugged. "You never know. Life is full of surprises."  
Yeah," Junior scoffed. "it sure is, isn't it?"  
Mary chuckled. "I can't believe you fathered another baby. You just fathered twins. It's like you're trying to repopulate planet earth or something."  
"Mom, that's not funny!" Junior snapped.  
"Oh, it is just a little," Mary told him. "I was only trying to make a joke. Lessen the amount of tension in this room." She squeezed his knee. "Obviously I didn't succeed." She paused. "So...what are you gonna do now?" She asked. "What are you gonna tell Maeve about all this?"  
"I'm gonna tell her what I did and let the chips fall where they may. I'm gonna say that I'm gonna help Sarah with our baby, financially or however else, but that she and Josh are going to raise it," Junior said. "That's the right thing to do. I mean, Sarah and Josh have changed their relationship to being more like roommates now, but you know they'll be better at giving a kid a stable life than me."  
Mary shook her head, her lips a thin line now. "That's a lie and you know it, Sean."  
"I know I screwed up and I'm just trying to right the wrong," Sean replied. "I don't want to cause any more hurt."  
"You're running away again," Mary said. "Maybe not to Europe this time, but you're still, in a sense, running away. I know things aren't ideal, and I...I'm pleased that you're doing what you can to not disappoint Maeve, but...if you want to be with Sarah, you should fight for it. Show her. Be present. It might not be easy, but it'll be worth it in the end. You'll both be happier that way."  
"But what about the trouble my wanting to be present will cause?" Junior asked.  
"Maeve will be upset," Mary said. "No doubt about that. But in the end, I think it'll be good to get it all out in the open. After the hurt is gone, eventually, we can hope that she'll appreciate your honesty and how you allowed her to go on with her life and be able to have the sort of life she deserved when you were no longer in a position to give it to her."  
"You really think she'll get there?" Junior wanted to know.  
"We can only hope," Mary replied, putting a free hand on her son's shoulder.

* * *

"Okay," Michael said as he and Gabriel stood a few feet away from Junior's house. "How exactly do we do this? Do we just go in there?"  
"No!" Gabriel shook his head. "If we just strolled up to the front door and knocked, we wouldn't be let in! Use your powers for crying out loud! Project yourself, teleport yourself, whatever works...just don't scare the children. That'll be awkward."  
"Why?" Michael asked.  
"Cause the only people who can see us are the people we're supposed to be guarding unless we allow otherwise and we don't want to show ourselves to the parents!" Gabriel whispered impatiently. "You've done this before!"  
"Not for a long time," Michael pointed out. "I've had better things to do for a while."  
They went into the little girls' room and watched them sleep.  
"I'm bored," Michael announced, then gave the sleeping Emma a gentle poke before picking her up. Instead of crying though, she just frowned at him, and then Michael let out a shriek before Gabriel slapped a hand over his mouth.  
"What are you doing?" He whispered.  
"She peed on me!" Michael whispered angrily. "I'm all wet!"  
Gabriel couldn't help but laugh at this. "Well, naturally," he got out when he could get a breath. "She had to mark her territory somehow."  
Michael gave his brother a scowl, cleaned up both himself and Emma, and then put her back in her crib. "You're staying right there," he whispered firmly. "I'm not holding onto you anymore. You lost the privilege."  
Emma just stared calmly back at him and then fell asleep, like her sister did soon after.  
"You know, I'm kind of disappointed in Dad," Michael said as he and Gabriel watched the girls a little longer. "I thought he would give us a challenge. This is going to be easy enough."  
"You forget," Gabriel returned, "That these are not normal human children. They're supernatural in origin. Won't that be enough of a challenge for you?"  
"Yeah," Michael nodded. "I suppose you're right." He paused. "I think we've been here long enough. You wanna go and have a drink?"  
"No, I think I just want to go to bed," Gabriel replied.  
"Oh, you have _so much_ to learn about the pleasures of Earth," Michael chuckled, a twinkle in his dark eyes. "All right, you go to sleep. But don't wait up for me."  
"I wasn't going to," Gabriel replied as they transported themselves to the house their niece had found for them so that Michael could change and Gabriel could get ready for bed. "Don't worry."

* * *

After his talk with his mother, Junior was determined to take the first steps toward being with Sarah. Cause his mother was right: It was better to put the cards out on the table and deal with the subsequent hurt so that they could all move forward and be happier than to just keep everything bottled up to avoid a difficult situation.

As he drove to Sarah and Josh's, he hoped that Sarah was there alone and would be long enough for them to talk. If Josh showed up in the middle. it would ruin everything.

To his relief, he saw Sarah's car, and Sarah's car only, in the driveway. He parked his car in the street and took a few long strides to reach the door, hesitating a few seconds before knocking. Then, he waited for Sarah to answer.

"Sean?" She said, her eyes wide with surprise. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you."

"Should I go?" He asked. "I thought we could talk while Josh was out, but if you'd like me to leave..."

"No, no..." Sarah cast a hunted look around. "We might as well get this over with now. Get inside before anyone sees."

So he got inside and shut the door behind him. He sat down on the sofa and Sarah offered him a drink.

"That's nice, but I don't intend to stay long," he assured her. "I'll just be in and out."

"What did you come to say, as if I didn't already know?" Sarah asked. She moved to sit down on the sofa, but was surprised to see Junior come stand in front of her, then get down on his knees and put his arms around her waist and an ear to her belly.

"I think I felt it kick!" He told her excitedly.

"Oh, you couldn't have," Sarah said, trying not to cry at how excited he looked. "You know it's too early for that!" She then got down in a half kneeling position and put her hands on either side of his face. "I don't know if it's wise for you to get so attached to this child, even though I'm touched you want to." She sniffled and there was an obvious catch in her voice as she hurried on. "Us being together now...it's going to hurt so many people! I know it already has, even though Josh has been a really good sport and tried to hide it. I'm just waiting for when everything he feels is gonna boil over!"

"You don't think he'd hurt you, do you?" Junior questioned, feeling alarmed all of a sudden.

"No, no," Sarah quickly assured him. "But he'd yell, there's no doubt about that...and he'd hurt _you._ "

"I don't care if he hurts me!" Junior replied. "I got you pregnant, and this baby...he's _my_ responsibility, just as much as yours."

"What do you mean 'he'?" Sarah asked with a smile. "Do you know something I don't? Are you psychic all of a sudden? Or..." She grinned. "Is it that after three girls, you want a boy now?"

Junior shrugged. "He or she, it doesn't matter...just as long as the baby is healthy. That's all I care about." He then pulled her face to his and kissed her soundly before taking her in his arms and holding her close while they both laughed and cried, getting so lost in the moment that they forgot the plan to get Junior out before Josh got home.

It was too late to sneak Sean out when the door opened and Josh called out, "Sarah, I'm home! Are you okay?"


	14. Lovers Reunited

"Sarah, I'm home! Are you okay?"

Junior and Sarah sprang apart and looked at one another with panic in their eyes. They'd been so wrapped up in each other that they'd forgotten about Josh! And now here he was! How would they get out of this?

"Go in the closet!" Sarah whispered. "And don't come out until I handle this, no matter what you hear!"

"Are you sure?" Junior asked skeptically. "What if-?"

"Never mind!" Sarah muttered impatiently. "Just go!"

But Junior shook his head and refused to budge. His mother was right. Whenever he caused a problem, he always ran. Now it was time to change that.

Despite Sarah's urging, he was sitting openly on the floor with his arms around Sarah when a speechless Josh entered the room. They stared at one another in shock for a while before Josh finally spoke in a shaky voice.

"You wanna explain what's going on, Sarah?" He asked. "Tell me what this...this _stranger_ is doing in our house with you?"

"Sean is not a stranger, Josh," Sarah told him, releasing Sean at last.

"Don't make her have to explain all this to you," Junior said, finally releasing Sarah and getting to his feet to face his rival. "It's all on me. _I_ did this."

Josh swung his face toward Sarah. "Just what's he saying?" He demanded. "You wanna clear it up for me, Sarah?"

"Sure," Sarah got out, and before Sean could protest, she said, "Don't try and let me get out of this, Sean. Not when I was just as responsible for what we did as you are. Don't take it all on your own shoulders." She got to her feet and grabbed his arm to hold him back from whatever she feared he might do in her defense.

Josh looked back and forth between them and scowled. "Well, I guess this confirms it: Sean, you've been fucking my wife behind my back, and Sarah...you've been deceiving me and screwing around when all I could think of in the time I was away from you was that I wanted to be back home in your arms!"

"Don't you yell at her!" Junior cried. "Yell at _me_! I love her...I love her so much! Probably even more than you do! And it wasn't just fucking, what we did. It meant something!"

"Oh, did it?" Josh scoffed. "Like it meant something when you got her pregnant with Ellie and then left, leaving me to pick up the broken pieces and raise the dear little girl you refused to take responsibility for? Well, this is convenient!"

"Josh, that's enough!" Sarah told him.

"What?" Josh's jaw dropped. "How can you defend him? You actually think he means what he says this time? You sound like a woman having an affair who foolishly believes she'll be the special one that the man will leave his wife for! And you're so much smarter than that, Sarah!"

Sarah looked like she'd been slapped.

"It's okay," Junior assured her. "I can handle this. You don't have to."

"Yes, I do!" Sarah insisted after taking a deep breath. "He's _my_ husband. _I_ wronged him. Fixing it is my responsibility!"

"I want some answers!" Josh yelled. "Next thing you'll tell me is that you really want to be with him again!"

Sarah met Josh's eyes without blinking and said nothing.

"Oh, my gosh." Now it was Josh's turn to look stunned. "You really do, don't you?"

Sarah shrugged, feeling the tears welling up. "I never stopped loving him, Josh. "I'm sorry. I gave my heart away a long time ago, and I guess I never really got it back."

Junior looked at Sarah with a mix of love and astonishment. It was something he never expected to hear her say out loud, least of all while he was in the room to hear it, and _especially_ not to her husband Josh's face. She really _was_ an amazing woman.

Not knowing what to say to Sarah, Josh turned his anger about the situation onto Junior. "You son of a bitch!" He yelled. "You stole her from me!"

"I never intended to," Sean told him. "We just love each other, that's all."

"He didn't steal _anything_ ," Sarah added. " _I_ came to _him_. It was my choice."

"A choice you'll hate yourself for making when he gets bored and leaves you again!" Josh reminded her. "And I don't think I'll be in a frame of mind to help you pick up the pieces this time around! You'll have to find another sucker to do that!"

"Josh, I'm pregnant," Sarah got out. "I went to the doctor and found out."

The room went silent as if a switch had been thrown, with only the air conditioner hum and the ticking of the wall clock filling the room.

"You're carrying his child?" Josh got out at last. "I know it's not mine. You refused to sleep with _me._ "

"That's...that's right," Sarah conceded. "I'm really sorry, Josh. Let's talk about this, please!"

"Okay," Josh collapsed on the sofa and barreled on sarcastically. "We can talk about how you _used_ me all these years!"

"She did _not_!" Junior corrected, much to both Sarah and Josh's surprise. "She loved you! How could you not know that?"

"Well, sure, but not in a way that meant anything," Josh spat. "Not like she loves you! Now why don't you take your whore and get out of my house?"

That was it. That made Junior jump Josh and soon they were punching and kicking and swearing and knocking over furniture as a dismayed Sarah yelled at them to try and get them to stop.

But they didn't hear her. They didn't hear anything...until the door to the house opened again (Josh had left it unlocked) and Maeve called out, "Junior? I'm back! Your mother said you were here! Did you miss me?"

Junior cursed under his breath. Damn his mother for being so accommodating and telling everyone his every move! Like he wasn't having enough trouble with Josh already? Now _Maeve_ had to be added to the mix? This was gonna be real ugly real quick!

"Hi, Maeve," he called back warily.

"What's wrong with you?" Maeve asked, following the sound of his voice. "What do you sound so worn out for? Long day at work?"

Then she froze when she saw him and Josh and Sarah. "What's been going on here?" She asked and then looked around at the mess that had been made of the room. "What's happened?"

"They're cheating on us, Maeve!" Josh got out. "Sean and Sarah have been fucking behind our backs and now Sarah is pregnant with Junior's baby!"

Junior grabbed Sarah, held her tight, shut his eyes, and waited for the explosion. But to his surprise, there was none.

True, Maeve was tense and her eyes were narrowed, but then, to their surprise, she just burst out laughing. And she laughed and she laughed. It went on for ages and they had no idea when it would stop.

But It finally did, ending as abruptly as it had started. Then, eyes red and narrowed, every bit of her gray demon appearance showing, including her horns, Maeve grabbed Junior by the collar and pulled him up to his toes.

"I should have known," she said in her distorted demon voice. "I don't know why I'm surprised. Actually, I'm not. Fine, Sean, you do what you want. I'm not the type to dwell over the behavior of idiots so don't think you'll make me cry. But I'm keeping the girls. You're _never_ seeing them again!"

"You can't do that to Sean!" Sarah cried, rising to her feet, her voice full of indignation. She knew she should be afraid of Maeve. She knew it was crazy to be taking a part in this argument. But she couldn't help it. Maeve wasn't being fair! "He _loves_ your daughters and if he hadn't taken such good care of them while you were gone, they'd be in really bad shape! Think about that, would you?"

Maeve turned on her and growled. "You stay out of this and mind your own business, Miss 'I'm too good for you'! Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

"Don't try and help me, Sarah," Sean got out. "I know you mean well, but please, just...stay out of it!"

Maeve continued to hurt Sean until Sarah let out a terrible cry, her hands on her stomach, her face twisted in agony, and collapsed.

That gave Sean the strength he needed to get out of Maeve's grip and push her out of the way to run to her. And when Josh tried to block the door, saying it was probably just Sarah being over dramatic, he snapped. "Get out of my way," he yelled at him. "Get out of my way so I can help Sarah, or, demon or not, I _will_ kill you."

Josh moved out of the way reluctantly, then Junior kneeled next to the prone brunette figure on the ground and placed a hand on her belly.

"We'll get you to the hospital," he promised her as her eyes opened a little and she said his name in a weak voice.

He then turned to Maeve and yelled at her. "Well, don't just stand there! Call an ambulance! I know we have our differences. I know this is a bad situation for everyone. But are you just gonna let Sarah lie there in a crumpled heap when she clearly needs medical attention?"

Maeve wanted to say that she wouldn't mind that, but she couldn't bring himself to just let Sarah be. Maybe it was because she was Ellie's mom. Or maybe she was getting a conscience. She called the ambulance and as she and Josh rode behind it, she she shook her head and spoke.

"I bet he wouldn't have done that for _me_ ," she said ruefully.

* * *

Meanwhile, when the ambulance reached the hospital, Junior went into "doctor" mode and did everything he could to get Sarah examined as fast as possible, all the while praying that she wasn't having a miscarriage.

In the end, she turned out to be fine, and as they hugged one another in relief, the doctor who examined her said, "It was probably stress-related. What was going on before you brought her here?"

Junior and Sarah looked at each other and then Sarah said, "I was doing something stressful. I'll try to be more careful in the future." She put a hand on her belly. "It's a good thing we've got a tough kid."

"Oh, your child was not affected by anything," the doctor grinned. "It was completely unharmed. It'll be some child, that's for sure."

"Do you want her to stay overnight for observation?" Junior asked, leaving Sarah for a moment and going with his colleague to the door. "Or can I just take her home?"

"I don't see why there's any reason to keep her here," the other doctor replied. "Unless she's still feeling a bit out of sorts. She seems fine now to me."

Junior then turned and looked at Sarah. "How do you feel?" He asked her. "Good enough to go home? Or do you want to stay here for the night to be absolutely sure there are no bad after effects from what happened?"

"I'll be okay," she assured him and hopped out of bed to come join him by the door. "I feel fine now. Fine and relieved. We can go home. There's no need for more hospital time."

"All right, let's go check you out then," Junior smiled and took her hand to take her to the checkout desk.

* * *

Maeve and Josh had driven back to his house once they found out that Sarah was in one piece, poured each other a stiff drink, and then proceeded to discuss how screwed up everything had become.

"Like I said," Maeve told him. "I don't think Junior would ever have been as concerned for _me_ if something bad happened as he was for stupid Sarah! He's totally in love with her again!" Her eyes narrowed and she took a huge gulp.

Josh nodded. "I should have known this would happen. I mean, I've known about her history with Junior for ages, but she was always so pissed off about how he ditched her and Ellie that I thought for sure she would never let him back in her life. I was wrong. Boy was I wrong!"

"You're too good for her," Maeve told him. "All she wants is someone to fuck and you're _more_ than that. You've got character! You're the type of person people want but don't know that they want. Or that they should have."

"So I'm like vegetables," Josh said glumly. "I'm the broccoli of dating."

"No, no!" Maeve shook her head. "Don't look at it like that! Just because Sarah's too dumb and overcome with lust to appreciate you doesn't mean you're bad. You have many good qualities!"

"Yeah, but nothing that would attract a woman when she has to pick between someone like me and someone like Junior," Josh scoffed.

"That's because you keep a lot of your accomplishments to yourself," Maeve reminded him. "If people knew how much trouble you gave Lucifer over the years, your stock as a bad boy would totally rise!"

"You think?" Josh asked hopefully.

"Oh, for sure," Maeve nodded and clinked her glass with his. "I see your glass is empty. Want a refill?"

"Sure," Josh nodded and handed it to her. "Why not? And I'm surprised you're taking this so well. I thought you'd be more hurt or angry."

"I'm plenty angry," Maeve assured him. "When I said Sean was never gonna see the girls again, I was _not_ lying. They have more stability with me anyway."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Josh nodded. "They need to get away from bad influences. They need their mother."

"Damn right," Maeve nodded. "I'm gonna have one more drink, then I'll pick them up."

* * *

Though Gwen put on an act of not really liking Steve's attention, when she didn't hear from him for a few days, she began to get nervous. Or put out, she thought to herself. She didn't _get_ nervous.

She headed to the church and found he wasn't there, so she tried the park. She was luckier this time. He was sitting alone, on a bench, and contemplating some squirrels nearby.

She started to sit down next to him, but hesitated, feeling like she was interrupting something important.

"It's all right, Gwen," he said without looking at her. He sounded tired. "You can sit down if you want. I don't mind."

"Well, thank you," Gwen replied. "I just didn't want to be interrupting important musings about the universe." She paused, then put a hand on his arm, a simple gesture that finally made him look her in the eye.

"Are you all right?" She asked. "I haven't heard from you for a bit. I know I'm not always the most enthusiastic about your attentions, but I'm concerned."

Steve sighed. "Bad things are about to happen, Gwen," he told her. "For some, a time of hardship is coming."

"For whom?" Gwen asked. "Anyone I should be worried about?"

Steve gave her a small smile. "You know I can't tell you that. It's not allowed. I can't risk things being changed."

"But if they're bad, why _wouldn't_ you want them to be changed?" Gwen asked.

"Because bad things can lead to good things, Gwen," he told her. "Think about the hardships in your own life. Do you think that you'd be the same woman you are now without them?"

"No," Gwen shook her head. "I guess not."

"But I _can_ tell you something that will happen that will involve you," Steve said. "If you hurry home, you'll find that two men are waiting to see you."

"Wait, what?" Gwen asked, eyes wide as she jumped to her feet. "Who?" Then she remembered: Jeffrey and Mikael. The other two rings in the now three-ring-circus that was her love life. When they'd been gone, she'd completely forgotten about them. "Mikael and Jeffrey can't be coming back! I thought I was rid of them!"

Steve gave her a wink. "Well, why don't you go home and see?"

"I think not," Gwen replied firmly and sat back down, inching close enough to him on the bench that they were touching. "I think I'd rather stay here in the park with you. You're much less trouble."

Steve chuckled. "Well this is a pleasant surprise. I thought you were trying to avoid me at all costs."

"I was," Gwen confessed. "But now you're the lesser of three evils." She paused and blushed a little. "Please don't take that the wrong way."

"Don't worry," he grinned at her and pulled her hair out of its do and gently playing with it. "I'm choosing to feel very flattered."

Gwen let out a breath. "Well, thank...thank _you._ " She started to rise and then sat back down.

"What's the matter?" Steve asked. "Lost your courage?"

"Well, no," Gwen shook her head. "I just don't want to leave. That's different."

"You know you have to face them sometime," Steve reminded her. "They aren't just going to go away."

"Well this is strange," Gwen said. "Are you trying to get rid of me now? I find that surprising."

"Not permanently, of course," Steve swore. "You can do what you want. I just...I assumed you didn't want this meeting hanging over your head forever. That you'd just want to get it over with."

"I do want that," Gwen nodded and got to her feet, deftly putting her hair back up as she did so.

Steve rose with her, took her hand, and turned her gently so that she was facing him before taking her chin in his hand and kissing her softly. She tried to prolong it, intensify it, her fingers threading through his hair as she tried to get close to him. But he wouldn't let her do more than he wanted. For the first time, she failed to take control. But to her surprise, she didn't mind. She stopped, relaxed, and let herself feel until they finally separated.

"Wow," Gwen said. Even though it had been a slight touch, the kiss had moved her immensely. "You're good at that."

He chuckled. "Well, I _did_ invent it," he reminded her.

"What was it for?" Gwen asked. "Any particular reason?"

"Courage, in this case," Steve said and gave her a gentle push. "Go on now. You'll feel much better after."

Gwen turned her back on him, took a few steps, then spun on her heel and jogged back. "I changed my mind," she said and plopped down on the bench again as Steve sighed and grinned, taking her hand again as she continued to speak. "I choose to be a coward. I'm staying right here."

* * *

After sleeping fitfully, Lucifer found himself waking up in bed again for what seemed like the millionth time. The room was dark and the clock on the bedside table read 2:30 AM.

Swearing under his breath, he turned over on his side and reached out to grab another pillow. Maybe that would help. Then he gasped when he felt hair. Soft, long hair. He focused on the mattress next to him, making out a shape, then got out of bed, making it so the room was dimly lit. Then he turned to face the bed again and nearly cried out: Eleanor was in bed, sound asleep, breathing even, and, based on how the covers had ended up when he removed them, she was naked too.

He was having that dream again, the same dream he'd had for several nights. So this wasn't a surprise. He didn't know why he'd felt so shocked. He got back into bed, grinning as he kissed her cheek, nibbled on her ear, and whispered her name. "Eleanor, Eleanor..."

She opened her eyes again, grinning back. "I'm having the dream again," she said. "Better make the best of it. I know you're not gonna be here when I wake up."

They stared at one another for a few seconds and then he grabbed her and they began kissing one another furiously, their hands roaming over each other's bodies as they kissed and nibbled on one another, their breathing rapid as the temperature in the room rose considerably.

Then, he pushed her back on to the mattress with a bounce and looked deeply into her eyes. "I miss you, Eleanor," he whispered. "Do you miss me too?"

"Oh, yes," Ellie assured him. "Every damn day!"

He grinned and took her face in his hands as her tongue slid over her bottom lip and then she bit it gently.

He kissed her as she threw her arms around his neck, laughing and crying out as he went into her over and over again, not stopping until they were both sweaty and exhausted. Then the lights went out and she closed her eyes, thinking that this was one of the best dreams she'd ever had.

* * *

When she woke up the next morning, she was alone again, but strangely enough, Lucifer's side of the bed was different. There was a body indentation on the mattress and his sheets were rumpled instead of neatly made as if he'd been here to sleep in them.

"Did I do that?" She whispered to herself. "Am I missing Lucifer so much that I'm trying to compensate for his loss by messing up his side of the bed as if he were here to do it himself? Was the dream so real that it had made her do that?

Then her eyes caught the time on the clock. "Shit!" She whispered and hopped out of bed, putting panties and a robe on. It was past time to feed Noah! She was late! The poor kid was probably starving!

She ran to his room and froze in the doorway. Lucifer was in Noah's rocking chair, holding onto him and feeding him from a bottle. Ellie shook her head and blinked several times, but the scene never changed.

Then he looked up and smiled at her. "Here we are again," he said. "Getting into each other's minds, so desperate to see one another. Last night was amazing, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Ellie nodded, stepping into the room. "I certainly enjoyed myself."

"You know, you look awfully sexy when your hair is tousled like that," he remarked. Then he reached out to touch it and his hand brushed her bare shoulder. It was a warm, real touch. And he didn't disappear.

So she reached out and pinched him. "Oh, my gosh!" She cried. "Lucifer, this isn't a dream! You're really here! You're home!"

"Oh, please," Lucifer scoffed. "Don't be silly, Eleanor, I-" He gripped Noah tighter as she grabbed his face and kissed him soundly, then stepped back.

"I'm still here, aren't I? She demanded and then ran a hand down the bare arm poking out of his t-shirt. "You're feeling the warmth of my body and I'm still here?"

"Yeah," Lucifer nodded. "I want to believe that, but it's too good to be true, right?"

Ellie shrugged. "I'd go ahead and believe it if I were you. Welcome home, Lucifer."

He smiled and continued feeding Noah his bottle, cooing over him. "What a strong boy we have, Eleanor. I'm glad he still seems to remember me."

"No one could forget you," Ellie replied and came around the rocker to mess with his hair. "I certainly didn't. After you finish with him, want me to show you the blood-spattered piano? Mom and Josh cleaned it off the best they could, but Mom says that part of it is a manifestation of really emotional magic. The blood on the piano symbolizes an emotional reunion when there couldn't be a physical one between us, so you'll never have a clean piano again. Don't ask me to explain it more. I'm just quoting what Mom said."

"I'm not mad," he assured her and cuddled Noah close. "I like it. I think it's delightfully macabre."

"I thought you would," Ellie remarked as he got up and they walked there so he could see it, handing Noah to Ellie and gently touching the keys with their spatters of rusty red. "I just wanted to make sure you knew so that you wouldn't waste time on cleaners. Cause like I said, the blood's not coming out." Then she chuckled. "If you're back, is Dexter back too? I'm surprised Valerie hasn't let out a shriek of joy that was heard throughout the entire house!"

"Oh, just wait," Lucifer grinned, putting his arms around Ellie and Noah and kissing her hair. "I bet she'll find out any minute."

* * *

"It's about time!" Valerie cried irritably. She'd ordered breakfast an hour before and it had taken a damn long time for someone to bring it up. "I hope it's not cold!" She got out of bed, stomped over to the door, and pulled it open, and then gasped as Dexter stood in front of her, breakfast tray in his hands, clad only in his boxer shorts as his dark eyes sparkled at the shocked look on her face.

"Your breakfast, milady," he drawled.

"Oh, my...what? Huh...you...?" Valerie's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, her previous anger disappearing immediately as Dexter made his way into the room and set her food down on the bed.

"Surprise," He grinned again, taking her in his arms and kissing her soundly. "Miss me?"

"Well, duh!" Valerie replied. "When did you get back?"

"Not too long ago," Dexter said. "Sorry about your breakfast. It took me forever to convince someone to let me bring it up and surprise you."

"Who the hell cares about my breakfast?" Valerie asked, her eyes glinting wickedly as she nibbled on his earlobe. "Suddenly I'm hungry for something else entirely."

He held her at arms' length. "Are you saying that I can have your breakfast, then? At least have an apple or something. You need food in your stomach."

"Technically, I don't, but why quibble?" Valerie shrugged. She poured herself some coffee, zapped up some celebratory champagne, and had an apple and the toast while Dexter at the rest of what she'd ordered, and then when the tray was empty, she eagerly gave it a push, sending everything to the floor with a crash.

"That was nice," Dexter frowned.

"Oh, I'll clean it up later," Valerie assured him. "It'll take two seconds." She changed from the sweat pants and old t-shirt she'd been wearing to bed in an attempt to keep her sexual feelings for Dexter at bay since was gone into one of her sexy pink silk night gowns.

"I wondered why you were wearing sweats," he commented as he watched her.

"I was trying to stop the sexy feelings," Valerie grinned, climbing up on the bed and giving him a grin as she patted the empty spot on the mattress next to her. "But now that you're back, I don't have to, do I?"

"No, I shouldn't think so," Dexter grinned, removing his boxers and kicking them aside before he joined her under the covers and began running his hands over her body. "I sure wouldn't want you to."

"You're really here, aren't you?" Valerie whispered as he kissed her neck. "This isn't just some wonderful dream I'm going to wake up from and be all alone again?"

"No," Dexter assured her as he threaded his warm fingers in hers and held on tight. "I'm here. See?"

"Good," Valerie nodded, her lip jutting out a little. "You better not leave me again."

"Oh, I won't," Dexter swore before burying himself inside her. "Never again, I promise."


	15. A Little More Than Lust

After Lisa had put Noah to bed for the night, her cell phone rang, and she nearly dropped it from shock when she saw who was calling: it was her parents! Though she shouldn't have been surprised because with Lucifer and the others back, her parents couldn't be far behind, she was, and nearly cried at the sound of her father's voice, though when he spoke, he seemed frantic and even a little curt.

"Where are you?" Elijah yelled into the phone. "Why aren't you at home? You didn't even leave a note! Do you know how _worried_ I am?"

"I'm sorry," Lisa apologized and tried not to laugh. It was such a relief to hear her father's voice, even when he was yelling at her, and her mother's a few seconds later.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Amy said. "We know we just got back and you're probably busy. We just wanted to know that you were all right."

"I've been watching Lucifer and Ellie's son," Lisa explained. "I just put him to bed for the night, so I'll come straight home now. I can't wait to see you guys. I've missed you so much!"

"We've missed you too!" Amy told her. "Perhaps we should all go out to dinner. Or are you too tired?"

"No," Lisa shook her head. "I could eat. Ticino's in an hour? Think you could get reservations by then?"

"Oh, of course!" Amy assured her. "See you there!"

After her mother hung up, Lisa zapped herself into a nice blue dress and was on her way out when she ran into Ellie.

"You're dressed nice," Ellie remarked. "Got a date now that you're finally getting out of here?"

"No, my...my parents are back," Lisa explained. "It's _them_ I'm meeting for dinner. And then I'll probably head home with them afterward. Thank you so much for letting me stay here while they were gone. It sure beat going home to an empty house."

"Oh, no problem!" Ellie smiled. "It was the least I could do after all the help you're giving me. And I should have figured your parents were back. I don't know where my head is." She gave her head a shake. "When you see your parents, would you tell them 'Welcome home' for me? And see when your mom wants to do book club next?"

"Sure," Lisa agreed. "No problem. Will do! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight," Ellie grinned.

Then, Lisa ran the rest of the way to her car and did some errands before finally meeting her parents at the restaurant.

* * *

Of course they were early and sitting at the table when Lisa arrived. That was their habit. Her father was terrified of being late and having their evening plans put at the mercy of restaurant hosts who would then seat them whenever a table was open and who knew when that would be?

"Sorry I kept you waiting," Lisa apologized. "I hope it wasn't a long time."

"Oh, you're fine," Elijah said. "It's been a while since we've seen you. What's a few more minutes? And this place is lovely, so it's nice to be able to just take time and look around. I love the gold sheen on the walls. And I think that's a real Van Gogh over there." He gestured toward a painting on a nearby wall.

Then he turned back to her and put his napkin in his lap, giving his younger daughter a grin. "You look well. I hope you didn't miss us too much."

"Oh, I missed you just enough!" Lisa responded. "Have you told Lily you're back yet? What did she say?"

"We need to!" Amy put a hand over her mouth and then took out her phone to call their older daughter. "I mean, I'm sure she knows cause Selina's back too and two plus two is four, but...we should probably let her in on our whereabouts just the same."

While Amy talked to Lily, Elijah pushed a wine bottle toward Lisa. "You can have some if you want," he said. "It's a Chianti. That's always good with pasta."

"Thanks," Lisa said, taking the bottle and a glass. "I could have a little. Things have been...interesting...at work lately."

"How interesting?" Elijah pressed. "Interesting enough that I should be worried?"

"No, just interesting in general," Lisa assured him. "I mean, I _do_ work at the Devil's house, so it can't be boring, can it?" It was definitely _not_ the time to talk about Lee.

"No," Elijah shook his head as the server came and took orders for dinner.

As they ate, they all filled each other in more on what they'd been up to during the separation.

"Was it weird where you were?" Lisa questioned. "Was it full of bad things? Were you ever being hurt or tortured?"

"No, it was just like normal life, only, of course, you weren't around," Amy told her. " _That_ was the bad part."

"Your mother filled her days with giving Lucifer therapy," Elijah added dryly. "And hopefully, now that he and Eleanor are reunited, she won't have to do that anymore."

"I told you that you don't have to be jealous!" Amy hissed between her teeth. "And I think I'll continue with Lucifer, even though we're back now. I think it's good for him. And poor Ellie and Dexter have done enough without actual training. They need my help!"

"Fine," Elijah sighed. "If you must, you must."

"Well, how big of you," Amy returned, her tone starting to get a little frosty.

Lisa gave a nervous chuckle and tried to think of something that would break the tension. "So..." she said at last, just as their dinners arrived. "Who's thinking about dessert? The tiramisu looks good, doesn't it?"

* * *

Though the dinner with her parents had had its awkward moments, Lisa was still extremely glad that her family was reunited and it showed. No one could have missed it because she was smiling all the time. And even Lee, who'd been avoiding her since they'd stood naked in front of each other in the bathroom, had to comment.

"Why are you so happy?" He asked her. "Are you thinking about _me_?"

"No, my parents are back!" Lisa told him. "Not everything in my head is about you, sorry to disappoint." She took a satisfied breath and asked, "Isn't it great that everyone's finally returned?"

"I guess," Lee replied and turned to walk away from her.

"I can't believe you!" Lisa cried and then followed him. "Lucifer, who gave you a home when you had none, is back! And you could at least _pretend_ to be happy for me. Why do you have to be such a buzzkill?" She followed him into his room and shut the door. "Tell me you're happy for me," she demanded. "I'm not leaving until you do."

Lee frowned for a few seconds and then a grin spread over his face as he reached out to play with her loose red hair. "Oh, be honest," he told her. "You didn't come in here because of your parents. I remember what happened the last time you and I saw each other. There's still some things left unsaid or undone. You've come to finish them, haven't you? Well, all right." He leaned against the bed and began stripping down.

"No," Lisa blushed. "No, that's not what I..." But she trailed off, unable to take her eyes off of him. Damn it!

"Kind of like when you watch me when I'm the shower, isn't it?" Lee remarked quietly as a grin spread over his lips. "But now I get to see the look on your face."

Lisa blushed scarlet as he took her hand and kissed the palm before massing it with his thumb. She really hated being at such a disadvantage. "You...you know about that?"

"Well, yes, I do," Lee said, getting right up in her personal space and backing her up against a wall. "I'm not a fool. If you want to have your way with me, all you have to do is say so. It's not like I'm going to refuse you."

No, Lisa thought to herself, shaking her head so that her hair flew in her face. I won't! I won't! Then her head came up abruptly, and she grinned at him. "All right," she said. "We might as well get it over with, right? It's not like we can deny it." She gave herself a couple of seconds to enjoy the stunned look on his face before she kissed him soundly and let him carry her to his bed, where they continued to make out, their hands all over each other and nibble marks on their necks. Then, he pushed her back onto the mattress, looming over her as they both breathed hard. He slipped his hand in her panties and gave her a good rub, and after she climaxed, he went to take them off her, and her bra too, so that she was as naked as he was.

But as he was struggling with the bra hook, she shook her head and pulled away. "You know," she said and bit her lip, "I don't really think I'm in the mood anymore." She got out of bed and dressed, then headed for the door.

"Hey!" Lee cried irritably. "That's cruel!"

"If you're gonna be a buzzkill, then so am I!" Lisa shot back before leaving. "Deal with it."

* * *

After the confrontation with Josh, things changed for Junior and Sarah. Maeve moved into a hotel and took the girls with her so that Junior was left alone and Sarah...well, Josh didn't hesitate to kick _her_ out.

So she found herself on Junior's doorstep. It was on a rainy night and he brought her inside, bundled her up, brought her tea, and set her down by a fire.

"I don't mean to cause any more trouble than I already have," Sarah said and then sneezed. "But Josh kicked me out and I didn't know where else to go. I didn't know who else to ask about where to stay."

"Well, Maeve's not here anymore, so _technically_ you could stay here," Junior said. "Frankly, I want you to, no doubt about that. But...but I know that you would turn me down if I offered and give me some long-winded speech about how guilty you feel right now, so...you want me to call Ellie and see if she and Lucifer will take you? At least until we figure all this out? I'll even drive you over there if you want."

"Oh, we shouldn't do that now," Sarah shook her head. "It's late. I'll just..I'll sleep on your couch tonight and we can go over tomorrow."

"Not the couch," Junior shook his head. "You get a bed. Just not mine."

"Of course," Sarah nodded as she drank her tea and pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "Thank you, Sean. You didn't have to do any of this, especially after all I've put you through, but you did anyway. I'm very grateful."

"Well, you're carrying my child," Junior reminded her. "I can't just forget about that. Not again."

After she finished her tea, Sarah stayed by the fire a little longer before going to dry her hair and settle in for the night.

"Did you bring pajamas?" Junior questioned. "If you didn't, I can bring you one of my t-shirts."

"Thanks," Sarah nodded. "I should have thought about that but I just...I took off without thinking."

Sean left the room and came back with the t-shirt, then, helped Sarah undress and change, not being able to stop himself from caressing her fuller belly and breasts, and kissing her shoulders, neck, and every other bit of skin he could get his lips as Sarah sighed and threw her arms around him.

"I want you to know," he told her, his lips against her ear, "that what Josh said about the past...about me deserting you, that's not ever gonna happen again. Not _ever_. I promise." He kissed her soundly, his hands cupping her bottom.

"I _thought_ you wouldn't do this," she told him as they both panted heavily. "But I'm glad you are." She was moaning loudly now. "And if you're planning on going all the way with me, I don't mind that, either."

She started to slide off her panties, but he stepped away then. "No!" He told her. "I can't do it now. I respect you too much to do this when things are still so uncertain between us. I want to be with you again, but not until we're absolutely sure about where we are."

"So...so you're turning me down?" Sarah asked. "What are you saying? Are you not gonna have any part of this baby?"

"No, I am!" Junior assured her. "I'm certain that I want a place in this baby's life. I hope you can find one for me. I just...we can't be _us_ the way you want until everything is fixed. You know that. I don't want us doing anything until I don't have to hear a speech about you feeling guilty after. That's not too much to ask, is it?" He looked into her dark eyes and waited until she slowly shook her head.

"No," she sighed and got into bed. "I guess not. Thanks again for taking me in tonight, Sean. You won't forget to call Ellie about tomorrow?"

"No," Sean assured her. "I won't forget. Goodnight, Sarah. You and the baby sleep well."

"You sleep well, too, Sean," Sarah grinned as he tucked her in. "You deserve it."

He gave her a smile, started to leave, and then turned on his heel, coming to get in the bed beside her, much to Sarah's surprise. He then stared at her for a long moment, playing with her hair and lightly kissing her cheeks before he asked, "What you said to Josh before...about always loving me, even when you hated me. About giving your heart to me a long time ago and never really getting it back...did you mean that?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded and gave him a smile. "You think I'd say something that emotionally fraught just for kicks?"

"I would hope not!" Sean shook his head and kissed her forehead. "I just...I wondered. Do you feel guilty about saying it?"

"No...no, I don't," Sarah replied and hugged him hard. "I promise. I hope that can give you a little comfort."

"It does," Junior said with a smile before letting her go. "You need to sleep now, okay? And I do too. Good night. For real this time."

"Goodnight," Sarah replied, smiling back. "Sleep well, Sean."

He nodded. "I definitely will now."

* * *

As promised, the first thing Junior did when he woke up eight hours later was call Ellie and explain what was going on.

"Yeah, I knew Josh kicked Mom out," she said wearily. "I'm going over to see him today. You're not keeping Mom under _your_ roof, are you? Cause that could come back and bite you in the butt."

Junior sighed. "She came last night and I let her have a bed, but we're trying to find somewhere else more permanent. I agree that now my place would not be the best one for her. We talked about it and wondered...would you and Lucifer be willing to take her in? You have the space, right?"

"Sure," Ellie nodded. "We can take her. That's fine. No problem. When are you going to bring her over?"

"As soon as possible," Junior said. "A few hours, maybe? She's not up yet."

"I'll let someone know you're coming so we can get a room set up for her," Ellie replied. "I'm kind of glad all this is out in the open so we can finally deal with it at last."

"Yeah," Junior nodded. "As painful as it as, I am too."

"Were you talking to Ellie?" Sarah asked as he hung up the phone and whipped around to face her. "What did she say? Will she take me in?"

"Of course she will," Junior replied. "But we need to give everyone time to set things up for you. Is there anything you need to do, or errands you need to run, that will take up a few hours?"

"Sure," Sarah nodded. "I bet I can think of something to fill the time. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

By the time Junior and Sarah arrived at Ellie's, they were carrying several shopping bags with them.

"Let me guess," Ellie said as she helped them with the stuff and led her mother to her room. "Baby stuff?"

"Well, yes," Sarah sighed. "Your...Sean, wanted to find a way to fill a few hours before we got here, and it was the first thing that popped into my head: buy baby things. And thank you so much for taking me in like this. I know this whole thing is a mess and I'm so sorry if you feel trapped in the middle."

"I haven't so far," Ellie said. "But I'm about to go see Josh, so depending on what he says, that could change."

"Are you mad at me for what happened?" Sarah questioned. "I know you and Josh are close."

"No, I'm happy you and Dad want to make it work," Ellie told her firmly. "I'm sorry Josh and Maeve had to be hurt in the process. I am, _believe me._ But...you and Dad being together...it makes me feel like less of a giant mistake, you know? The knowledge that you and Dad really _do_ love each other, even after everything that happened."

"You weren't a mistake," Sarah said firmly. "You were the best thing that ever happened to me." She put a hand on her stomach. "Just as this little one is too."

After Sarah was settled in, Ellie gave her a hug. "Well, unless you need anything else, I'm heading to Josh's. Hopefully, he'll still want to see me."

"He will," Sarah assured her. "I'm the one he's mad at, not you. Good luck, sweetie."

"Thanks," Ellie nodded. "I have a feeling I'll need it."

* * *

"Well, look who it is!" Hannah spat when she opened the door to Ellie's knock. "The daughter of the people ruining my father's life! I cannot _believe_ you're bold enough to show your face here! What _gall_! What _impudence_!"

"Can I talk to Josh, please?" Ellie asked. "I didn't come here to cause trouble. And in case you forgot, my mother is your mother too."

"What mother?" Hannah asked, still blocking the way in, her eyes inky jet black and her teeth fangs. "I don't _have_ a mother. She's _dead_ to me!"

"Who is it?" Josh called. "Is it Sarah?"

"No, it's Ellie!" Hannah called over her shoulder. "Should I throw _her_ out on her ass too?"

"No, let her in," Josh sighed, coming to nudge Hannah away from the door. He looked tired and as if he'd been crying. "She hasn't done anything wrong."

"I just came to see how you were," Ellie told him in a mute voice as she finally got inside and he enveloped her in a tight hug. "If there's anything I can do..."

"I'd love it if we could just...just talk from time to time," Josh told her. "That would be nice."

"I'm surprised you still want anything to do with me," Ellie said. "All things considering."

"Like I told Hannah, it's not your fault," Josh told her. " _You_ didn't do anything wrong. I love you. And I've always thought...I've always thought you've done a real good job, as good as you could, balancing Sean and me in your life. I've never told you how proud I am of you for that."

"Well...thanks," Ellie blushed. "I try my best. You both mean so much to me."

"Isn't this nice?" Hannah hissed. "While the two of you get all mushy with each other, I'm gonna have a word with Mom. There are some things I need to say to that... _woman_."

"Oh, no you don't!" Ellie cried. "You don't even know where she is! And I'm not telling you!"

"It's obvious where she is!" Hannah yelled back. "You're hiding her, aren't you? All I gotta do is go to your house." And with a snap of her fingers, she did just that.

"Sorry," Ellie apologized to Josh. "I gotta deal with this. Do you mind?"

"I don't mind," Josh shook his head. "But please...don't hurt your sister if you can help it."

"I won't," Ellie assured him. "I promise."

* * *

Ellie arrived at home not long after Hannah, but was too late to stop her sister from confronting their mother. She reached Sarah's room, but the door was closed and she could hear Hannah yelling from behind it, calling Sarah all sorts of horrible names. She waited a few more seconds and then pulled the door open. "All right, Hannah...that's enough. You've had your say, and now if you can't express your anger in a civil manner now, I would like you to get out until you can."

"No, that's okay," Sarah said. Her voice was tightly controlled, but Ellie could tell she was trying not to cry. "I deserve this. Don't make her stop."

"You _don't_ deserve this at all," Ellie told her, coming down to sit next to her on the bed and put her arms around her.

"Are you saying that how I feel should be _ignored_?" Hannah spat. "That I should keep my feelings to myself and celebrate the fact that my father's heart was crushed into a million tiny pieces and that the actions of this woman make me feel like I don't matter? That I don't count? That she doesn't love me?"

"Oh, buck up!" Ellie spat. "You think you're the only one who ever felt awkward in their own family? You think _I_ never felt awkward after you were born? When I had to watch _your_ blood father and _your_ blood mother make a fuss over you while feeling like I myself was just a bad memory of the relationship Mom never wanted? Yeah, I felt that! But I never took it out on her, or you, or Josh! I talked to them about it. I counted my blessings. No one said you couldn't be hurt or angry. You have every right. But really, how is treating Mom badly gonna make things better? Seriously, I have half a mind to ship you down to have a visit with the wrathful. I don't think I'd mind watching them tear you apart!" Ellie's face was full of an evil wickedness now that was _truly_ terrifying.

"Eleanor!" Sarah cried, her voice full of shock. "Don't!"

"Oh, I won't!" Ellie promised as Hannah's eyes widened. "If she apologizes and promises to lay off."

Hannah nodded. "I'm still angry," she got out. "But I guess...I guess Ellie's right that it accomplishes nothing to take my anger out on you or her or anyone else. I'm sorry, Mom."

Sarah nodded. "Thank you. And I'm...I'm sorry too."

Ellie looked back and forth between them and said in a much lighter voice, "Now that we're all friends, I think Christopher is around, Hannah. Maybe you could get him to take you out for a drink."

"What a good idea," Hannah remarked. "I think I'll do just that." Then she left and Sarah gave Ellie a hug.

"Thanks for that," she said. "Thanks for not sending me down to suffer with the lustful when you have every right to."

Ellie shrugged. "Everyone makes mistakes," she said. "And...in a lot of cases, I've always been kind of a softy when it comes to hellish punishment anyway. It makes Lucifer kind of annoyed with me sometimes, even if he never mentions it." She paused. "And I don't know for sure, but...something tells me that what you and Dad are doing is more than just two people cheating on their significant others. Maybe going to camp out with the lustful is not what you're meant for."

Sarah chuckled. "You're a great daughter," she told Ellie. "I don't know how I got so lucky."

* * *

Ellie stayed with Sarah for a few more minutes and then went in search of Lucifer. It had wiped her out to confront Hannah and deal with that whole situation, so she was more than happy to see him at his piano bench, but, not wanting to just stride in, she knocked on the door frame. Lucifer turned, saw her, grinned, paused his playing of "Danse Macabre," and switched to a few notes of "Pretty Woman" instead as Ellie made her way to the piano.

"You look exhausted," Lucifer remarked as he took her on his lap and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Everything okay?"

Ellie sighed. "I don't know," she said. "I went to see Josh to check on him, and he was a mess, and Hannah was mad at mom and me and everyone, and...I made it a bit better, but...I really don't know how long it's all gonna last. I don't know if I'm gonna wake up tomorrow and everyone's still gonna be hurt and angry and...I'll be stuck in the middle of it all because I don't want to be ashamed of the fact that I'm glad Mom and Junior are working things out...but if I'm happy for them...does that mean I'm wrong? That I'm bad?"

"No, you're not bad," Lucifer promised and kissed her hair, holding her close. "I've seen bad, believe me. I've even seen _you_ do bad, and where you are now...you're not even close. Everything is gonna work out, I promise."

"Really?" Ellie asked. "Thank you for that. I needed to hear it."

"You're welcome," Lucifer replied, then looked heavenward and hoped he was right.

* * *

Just as Sarah was pulling the covers over herself in her bed, the phone call she'd been waiting for all night came, her cell phone vibrating loudly on the bedside table. She snatched it up after two seconds and nearly yelled, "Sean!"

"Hi!" Junior told her. He sounded pretty chipper. "It seems you've been waiting for my call. Have you?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "I mean, I _hoped_ you would call. Hannah hates me too now because of what I did to Josh, even if Ellie calmed her down and I just...I could really use a friendly voice now."

"Well, that's what I'm here for," Junior replied. "I just wanted to check in and see if you were comfortable and things were working out."

"Yes, I'm-" Then she stopped and made a noise.

"What?" Junior yelled. "What happened? Are you okay? Is there something wrong with the baby? I'm coming over there!"

"No, he's just kicking," Sarah said. She didn't know for sure that it was a boy, but she felt in her heart that it was. "I guess he wants to talk to his daddy too."

"I want to meet him, that's for sure," Sean told her. "You seem very certain it's a boy. I saw that with the baby things you bought and now you're saying 'He'. What if it's a girl? Knowing my luck it will be, just like the others."

"I know what you mean," Sarah replied. "But I just...I _feel_ like it's a boy. Mother's intuition, maybe. And what do you think of the name Elliot? Do you like it? Or is it too nerdy?"

"I like it," Sean replied. "Sounds kind of like Eleanor, but not really."

"Yeah," Sarah grinned. "Little Elliot, who will look just like you...that's what I see in my head. Although that might be so much handsome that I'll explode."

Junior chuckled. "Well, now you know how I feel when I look at you and Ellie," he said. "Payback's a real bitch, isn't it?"

"Is that your weird and roundabout way of calling me 'pretty'?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah," Sean replied. Then he paused. "No, it's my weird and roundabout way of calling you beautiful. You're beautiful, Sarah. I love you." He knew he was just opening the door for more backpedaling from her and talk about guilt, but he had to say it as much as possible. It was the only way he would get through this.

"I love you too," Sarah replied. "So much, Sean. I really do mean it."

"I know you do," Sean told her. "And I just...you don't know how it makes me feel to hear it."


	16. All The Cards On The Table

Now that Junior and Sarah had gotten their relationship out in the open with Josh and Maeve, he was determined to clear the air with others too, and his next person made Sarah even _more_ nervous than the others had.

"No, you can't tell my father about us!" Sarah cried when Junior told her about his plans to confess to Matthew. "I'm gonna do it, I swear!"

"Oh, please!" Junior scoffed audibly as he stepped away from the phone, which was on speaker on the table, and rolled his eyes. "You're totally chicken! How long has it been since you've actually looked your father in the eye or talked to him? It's definitely not been since we've been doing what we've been doing, that's for sure!"

"Well, it's, just..." Sarah paused. "I think that he's finally recovered from dealing with my unplanned Ellie pregnancy. Telling him that I've been a wild child _again_...and with you...it just might kill him!"

"And it might not," Junior countered. "I know it's weird to hear this coming from me, but I really think you should give your dad more credit. Matthew, we can deal with. I wouldn't go to Malachai with this cause he would not react well, but...if we are as gentle and polite as we can be and we let your mother in on it before we tell him so the three of us can tell him together, it will be all right."

"That's just what you keep telling yourself," Sarah replied. "You're as terrified of the prospect of telling Daddy about all this as I am."

"Well, yeah," Junior admitted. "But just like with Maeve and Josh, it'll be better to get it out in the open, don't you think?"

Sarah sighed. "If you think it's right, go ahead and do it," she got out. "I wish you the best of luck, even though it feels like you've hit your head or gone nuts. And _do_ tell my mom first. Don't forget to tell me when you do it. I think it would be safer for you if I was there too."

"No, I don't need you there, I promise," Junior told her firmly. "Your father doesn't intimidate me anymore. Or at least not the way he used to. I've grown up. I'm not a stupid teenager anymore and I'm ready to fight for us, even if it means making your father mad or whatever. _I don't care!_ "

After that pronouncement, there was silence on Sarah's end and Junior immediately feared that he'd gone too far. "Sarah?" He asked. "Are you there? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Sarah said. "I just...I'm very impressed," she said. "I feel...I feel so...you've really grown up and it's amazing. I feel childish next to you, Sean."

This made him chuckle. "You do? Well, I think it's good for you. You've been way too grown up all your life. Or at least acted like it. Change is good."

"While we're getting this whole mess with Maeve and Josh out in the open, I have a confession to make," Sarah blurted out after a few more seconds of silence. "I...when I saw Maeve pregnant with the twins, and I helped you with them, I was jealous cause you weren't with me and the girls weren't mine."

"Is that so?" Junior asked, his face heating up and his heart flying. He was glad she couldn't see his face. "Well...I guess now you know how I felt when you were with Josh and pregnant with Hannah. Not pleasant, is it?"

"No, not really," Sarah admitted readily. "Not an experience I'd like to repeat. Which means you're marrying me as soon as this whole mess is over."

"Well, duh," Junior told her. "After what we've gone through, I'm not letting you get away again."

"That's what I hoped you'd say," Sarah told him, feeling immense relief. "Now, if you're absolutely set on talking with my father, good luck. Don't pick any fights with him and make sure his guns are nowhere near when you speak. Even with me there, we need to take all the precautions we can."

"Right," Junior agreed. "I'll talk to your mom and pick you up when we decide on a date and time."

"Good," Sarah said. "See you then."

* * *

But despite his promise, he didn't. He didn't tell her when he decided to go talk to her dad because he didn't need to. He was a man and he sensed that Matthew would respect him more if he talked to him about this alone and face to face and didn't hide behind Sarah.

So he called Christine and they made plans.

"I wondered when she was gonna tell Matthew about this," Sarah's mother remarked. "Of course _I_ knew about it because she told me the second she knew, but-"

"So you knew about this, and...and you haven't told Matthew yet?" Junior asked, surprised.

"Well, it's Sarah's thing to tell and not mine," Christine replied. "I'll just run interference because I know my husband." She paused. "So...are you gonna marry her?"

"Well, naturally," Sean nodded. "I mean, we have some things to sort out and people to make up to first, but once that's done, I'm _definitely_ marrying your daughter. She's not getting away again."

"I thought as much," Christine said. "And that's what your mother said too."

"You've been talking to my mother?" Sean asked, feeling horrified.

"Well, yeah," Christine replied. "You think she would keep me in the dark about something like this?"

"I hoped she would, but no," Junior sighed. "How do you want to do this?"

"Come by for dinner tomorrow," Christine advised. "Matthew's much easier to talk to when he's eating and he never brings his guns to the table."

"Two very good things to know during this conversation," Junior told her. "Thanks, Christine. I'll see you and Matthew tomorrow."

"Yes you will," Christine replied. "And it...it'll be okay, I promise."

"Yeah," Junior agreed with a sigh. "I know it will."

* * *

"Sean!" Matthew Warren exclaimed, his green eyes widening and his smile quickly disappearing when he opened the door in response to a knock and instead of finding his daughter (who he missed dreadfully and had no idea where she'd run off to) found her paramour, who he was finally not hating after so long. "What are you doing here? I thought you were Sarah! You wouldn't happen to know where my daughter is, would you? Why hasn't she called in so long? Are you two even talking anymore? I'm a bit behind the times, I know that." He then invited Junior in to sit with him on the sofa and got the two of them beers.

"So?" He asked, after cracking his open and taking a swig.

"I _do_ know where Sarah is," Junior admitted, looking her father in the eye. "And I know why she hasn't talked to you lately. That's what I came to discuss with you, as a matter of fact."

"Oh?" Matthew raised an eyebrow. He didn't want to show it, but he had a weird feeling in his stomach: the same weird feeling he had before he'd been told Sarah was pregnant with Ellie. "Go on."

Junior nodded. "Okay...the reason why Sarah hasn't talked to you is because...because she's pregnant and I'm the father and we just...we wanted to come up with the right way to tell you."

"I knew it!" Matthew exclaimed.

"You did?" Junior asked. "So...how do you feel? How mad are you? I thought if I came to tell you myself instead of hiding behind Sarah, it would be better."

"Well, yes...but only if you plan to stay this time and attend to your responsibilities properly like a decent man and gentleman," Matthew told him, eyes narrowed. "Do you? I realize that you're technically married now and so is Sarah, but I bet with this pregnancy happening, that will change. Am I correct?"

"Yes," Junior let out a breath. "Josh has asked Sarah to leave their house and Maeve moved to a hotel with our daughters, and once the divorces go through, Sarah and I plan on marrying each other."

"Good, good," Matthew nodded. "Looking forward to that."

It was then that Christine appeared. "So..." she got out. "Everything okay here? I though you were gonna wait until dinner to have the talk, but apparently, I was wrong."

"No, we did it and we're surprisingly good," Junior assured her. "No problems, no worries."

"Well, good," Christine grinned, her dark eyes, so much like her daughter's, very bright. "I like it much better when everyone gets along. Now, how does everyone want their hamburger cooked? Dinner's gonna be much more pleasant now that you two got the talk out of the way."

"I can deal with the hamburgers, you sit," Matthew urged her. Then he looked at Junior. "Want to help me, Sean?" He asked.

"Really?" Sean asked in amazement. He remembered very clearly what Sarah told him about cooking being Matthew's special time and if he asked you to help him, he thought a lot of you. "I would love to. It would be my pleasure, sir."

"Good," Matthew grinned. "Come with me and we can make ourselves up some really big ones."

"I love that," Junior told him as Christine gave him a wink. "Can't wait."

* * *

Even though Junior had fibbed to her and not taken her to see Matthew with him, Sarah's mind was too occupied to be mad at him. They'd talked about leaving her birth father Malachai out of the conversation of their relationship, but she soon changed her mind. She couldn't handle any more secrets. She had to tell him too. But first, via her brother Patrick, she had to figure out how welcome she'd be at his house.

"So...you're not with the demon anymore?" Patrick questioned when she asked.

"Right," Sarah nodded. "Josh and I are no longer together and I'm carrying Ellie's full sibling. Sean is the father."

Patrick shrugged. "You should be fine then," he said. "The only reason Dad was so mad before is that you were married to and having kids with a demon and now you're not. Problem solved. You want to come with me to see him after work?"

"Sure," Sarah nodded. 'Thanks. The sooner I can get all this off my chest, the better."

* * *

When they got to Malachai's house, they were immediately ushered in by Malachai's wife, Helene, and offered water and seats on the sofa.

"It's so great to see you back, Sarah," Helene told her with a smile. "You've really been missed around here." She paused and leaned forward. "For what it's worth, I've been telling Malachai for ages that he's been really stubborn about you and Josh and should offer you the olive branch already."

"Well, that's why she's here," Patrick said and took his sister's hand in his. "Here to make things up with Dad."

"If you need help with that, I'm here for you," Helene promised. "In fact, I think I'll stay in sight while you talk, if that's all right with you."

"Sure," Sarah nodded. "I would love that."

Fortunately, they had lots of time to practice what Sarah would tell Malachai before he finally burst through the door. "Patrick is here, Helene? Wonderful!"

"Yeah, and he brought Sarah with him!" Helene called back. "She wants to talk to you. Mend some fences."

"Well, the only way she's gonna do that is to tell me she's not with that demon anymore!" Malachai shouted back. "Otherwise, she can just leave! She knows where I stand on demons and I have no reason to change my mind."

"Okay," Sarah called back. "I'm not with the demon anymore. In fact, he hates me now and kicked me out of our house!"

"Seriously?" Malachai asked, appearing right in front of her and taking her hand, his eyes wide with surprise before they narrowed with suspicion. "You're not just saying that?"

"Oh, no," Sarah shook her head and stood up. "You see my belly? I'm pregnant again...with Sean's baby. Ellie's gonna have a full sibling soon."

Malachai gave her a long look and then his eyes watered and he hugged her. "You cheated on a demon and made him hate you and now you've got your heart set on being with a nice warlock boy? How wonderful! I couldn't be happier!"

"Good!" Sarah replied with a smile. "I was worried you'd be mad but I'm glad you're not."

"I would _never_ be mad about Sean," Malachai told her and pushed some of his thick dark hair out of his eyes. "And anything that would piss off a demon is all right with me!" He paused. "So do you know what sort of grandchild I'm gonna have yet?"

"Not yet," Sarah shook her head. "Sean and I will take whatever, of course. But if it's a boy, we'll be extra thrilled because between the two of us, we've only had girls."

Malachai nodded and then said, " _Please_ tell me I found out about this before John did."

"You did," Sarah confirmed. "I don't know _what_ Sean wants to do about telling John about anything." John was Sean's birth father just as Malachai was Sarah's. He and Malachai had a big rivalry, which had, especially in the beginning, added a level of complication to Sean and Sarah's relationship that was almost more challenging to deal with than Maeve and Josh, but apparently, his dislike of Josh had made Malachai able to appreciate Sean as a person and not hate him because of who his father was.

"Well, I'm just glad I got to know first," Malachai smirked. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Sarah replied. "And you two are both gonna be at our wedding, so would you please behave yourselves and not ruin things by getting in a fight?"

"I won't if he won't," Malachai replied.

"That's not really a promise," Sarah said.

"Of course he won't fight with John," Helene told her firmly. "The day you get married will be a pleasant day for everyone. No trouble will come from us."

"But I bet John will cause _all sorts_ of trouble," Malachai added. "It would be less of a headache if you didn't invite him."

There was a silence and then Helene zapped up a full cake on the coffee table along with a knife. "Okay," she said with a smile. "Who wants some?"

* * *

While Sarah and Junior dealt with their problems, Ellie's life was much calmer. With everyone returned, she decided that they would all have a family breakfast together one morning.

"Where's Noah?" Vincent questioned. "Why didn't you bring him?"

"He was sleeping and I didn't want to bother him," Ellie replied. "I'll bring him down later, I promise."

"You know what I wonder?" Valerie remarked. "Just when he's gonna grow up. It's always when you least expect it, right? Now I'm extremely curious!"

"Me too, frankly," Dexter admitted, and then caught Lucifer's eye. "I've been preparing for yet another you...just in case."

"Hey, I'm not so bad!" Lucifer defended himself. "And I would have thought that after Vincent came along, you'd be used to having more than one of me around!"

"True, true," Dexter admitted and reached across the table for the bacon plate as Valerie put a hand on his back. "You're not wrong." It was still kind of weird getting to eat at the table like part of the family, but he was getting used to it.

"Hi!" Angelica called as the front door opened. "Sorry we were late. Sammy had to do some messing around under the hood of the car because it wouldn't start when we were planning to come."

"Is that some sort of euphemism?" Valerie called back with a glint in her eye. "If it is, I'm proud of you! I'll get you a bunch of extra breakfast because you probably need it!"

"Ignore her," Ellie said as a scarlet-faced Angelica made her way to the table and glared at her sister as Sammy smirked behind her back. He was so used to Valerie now that sometimes he even found her funny.

"We were just talking about when Noah would grow up," Ellie said. "Have a seat. The eggs Benedict is really good."

So Angelica took her mother's advice once she and Sammy had sat down and had eggs Benedict and orange juice, and just after she finished that, there was a yell and a crash from overhead.

"Noah!" Ellie cried and rose to her feet. "Something's wrong! I should go to him!"

"What if it's just him discovering he's grown up?" Lucifer asked. "Let's wait a few minutes, Eleanor. If we hear crying, then you can go."

So they waited with Ellie fidgeting nervously in her chair the whole time. Then, they watched in surprise as a young man with curly dark hair and dark eyes came down the stairs, naked and not seeming to give a damn. He strode into the kitchen and began rifling through the fridge, unaware (or perhaps very aware, but not caring) about his family watching him.

Then Ellie cleared her throat and said his name. "Noah, is that you? Are you okay?"

"Clearly," he drawled and turned around. "Don't I look okay? Don't you worry about a thing, Mother. I just came down for some breakfast and then I'll go back up to my room."

"No, no!" Ellie said. "I don't see why that has to be! I mean, sure you need clothes, but...after that, stay down here and talk with us!"

So Noah quickly zapped on some clothes (clearly taking inspiration from the black pants and jacket and white shirt his father was wearing) and sat down next to Valerie. "You're looking particularly lovely this morning, sister dear," he told her. "The pink in your cheeks is rather becoming. Is it the result of a morning tryst?"

"Yeah," Angelica grinned at her sister. "Is it?"

"Yes," Valerie nodded. "I'll admit it. I'm not ashamed." She then grabbed Dexter's hand and squeezed it as he tried not to blush too.

Then Noah moved on, blessedly. "Hello, brother," he said, his eyes landing on Vincent as he gave him a high five. "I've been wanting to spend time with a man who could very well be my partner in crime. Are you interested?" He grinned wickedly.

"Oh, yeah," Vincent nodded. "I don't see why not!" He then added, "You're wonderful, you know that? It's nice to have some more male blood in this house!" He then caught Ellie's eye. "Don't take that the wrong way, Mom."

"Of course she doesn't need to," Noah added. "Mother, did I mention you look exceptionally lovely this morning?"

"Thanks," Ellie said and then looked at Lucifer. "You always joke about how Angelica is me multiplied, but now it seems that _you_ have!"

"And you say that like it's a bad thing!" Lucifer told her, pretending to be wounded. "I don't think it's a bad thing! I think it's great!" He then turned to face Noah. "What are you planning to do with yourself now that you're old enough to be in charge of your own destiny?"

"I don't know," Noah shook his head and zapped up a flask of whiskey to empty into his coffee before gulping it down. "You know how to have fun, right? I thought you'd have some ideas."

"I could," Lucifer nodded. "Come to my office after breakfast and we'll talk."

* * *

Lee was lonely without Lisa around. Or at least bored. Maybe bored would be a better way to put it. It was something Lucifer noticed almost immediately and asked him to come to his office to talk.

"Am I in trouble?" Lee questioned. In his experience, those words meant he'd done something wrong.

"No, no, of course not!" Lucifer quickly reassured him. "I'm just worried about you is all. You've been kind of listless since Lisa left. Is that right? How can I help?" He paused. "You know, Noah and I are gonna go out today. Why don't you come with us? It'll be good for you."

"But-" Noah protested.

"It's not a problem," Lucifer said firmly. "Three people can have a good time just as easily as two."

It was then that Lee noticed the young man with dark eyes and dark hair who could have been Lucifer's double. "You're not Noah!" He said at last. "Noah's small!"

The young man bristled. "I certainly _am_ Noah!" He replied. "Who are you to come in here and question that? Who are you to come in here and question _anything_ we do?"

"I live here," Lee replied.

"Oh, yeah, since when?" Noah asked. "I've never seen you before. Where did you come from?"

"It's no surprise you haven't seen me," Lee replied, not intimidated at all. "This is a big house!"

"He's my son, just like you are," Lucifer told Noah, trying to prevent a fight. "Try and get along with him, please."

"Why?" Noah asked, his eyes red. "Why's _he_ so special?"

"Because I asked you to!" Lucifer replied. "Why is that such a difficult concept to grasp?"

"If _you_ didn't get along with humans for _your_ dad, why do I have to get along with _him_ for you?" Noah demanded. "Why? I don't think I will. I know we were gonna go do stuff, but you can just do it with _him_ instead, since he's your favorite and all. If you need me, which I doubt you will, I will be with Vincent. Goodbye!" Noah strode out, his eyes dark and stormy, slamming the office door behind him.

"Did I say something wrong?" Lee asked.

"No," Lucifer sighed. Damn his children. Why did they have to make trouble? Why did they have to be the bad parts of him as well as the good parts? Payback truly was a bitch, wasn't it? "No, you didn't say anything wrong. And you don't have to apologize to him either."

"Don't worry about that," Lee assured him. "Wasn't playing to."

"Good," Lucifer said. "So...how have you been?"

"Well, since Lisa's left, I've been bored," Lee said. "And I don't know why cause she's pretty but so are lots of women. She means nothing to me. So why do I want her to come back so bad?"

"Cause I think there's a part of her that _does_ mean something to you," Lucifer told him. "It's annoying to realize at first, especially if you're used to making your own way, but you get used to it."

"The naked parts of her mean something to me," Lee said. "I can't deny she's attractive."

Lucifer chuckled. "Spoken like a true son of mine. You want a drink?"

"Yes," Lee nodded. "A drink would be good. I don't care what it is. Then you want to go somewhere?"

"Sure," Lucifer told him. "Have you been to the Underground?"

"What's that?" Lee asked.

Lucifer grinned. "You'll see."


	17. Can't Avoid It Anymore

After a few more days, Lee's resentment about his attraction to Lisa intensified to the point where he finally decided to do something about it and take back the control he felt he lost. Trying his best to be nonchalant, he had a talk with Ellie and got Lisa's address, then, that night, when she wouldn't be expecting him and would have less of a chance of getting away.

When he was ready, he zapped himself into Lisa's bedroom. He then stood at the foot of the bed and watched her sleep for a few seconds before shaking her roughly and waking her.

"What...what?" She asked and then, as a reflex, smacked him in the face. She started to mutter an apology as Lee put a hand to his face and then saw him and instantly took it back.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" Lisa asked and got out of bed. "How did you find me?"

"Ellie gave me your address," Lee told her with a smile, pushing some of her hair out of her eyes as his gaze swept her body in its closely fitting purple night gown. "You know, you look much prettier when your hair is tousled like this."

"Do you frequently sneak into ladies' rooms in the middle of the night?" Lisa snapped and stepped away from him as he grabbed her and pulled her to him backwards.

"No," he whispered. "You're lucky enough to be the only one."

Lisa scoffed when he said this, but turned her head and moved her hair off her neck, so he could kiss the skin there. "You have a strange definition of 'lucky'," she told him.

He grined and then stood her up straight, pulling the skimpy straps off her shoulders and planting kisses there before the gown fell to her feet, showing him that she wore nothing under it, not even a pair of skimpy panties.

"Well, isn't this nice?" He chuckled, his hands cupping her firm bottom. "It's like you knew I was coming and didn't want me to waste time undressing you."

"No, it has nothing to do with you," Lisa gasped as his hands moved from her bottom to between her legs and gave her a good rub, which made a moan escape from her lips. "I just...I like the feelings of the silk against my skin."

"How do my lips feel against your skin?" He questioned, his voice a whisper. "And my hands? I want to know. Do you like it?"

She didn't want to admit it, but she did. "Yes, damn you!" She whispered, her eyes closed as as she climaxed and let out a cry. "If you're gonna do this to me, the least you could do is be thorough!"

"Are you saying you want me to take you?" He asked. "Right now?"

"Yes..." Lisa nodded. "But from behind. I can't...I can't believe what I'm stooping to!"

So he pushed her against the wall and unzipped his pants, and as he entered her from behind, his fingers threading through her red hair, he whispered, "The bed will be much more comfortable, won't it?"

"All right," Lisa gasped. "Maybe a little."

He pulled out of her, turned her around, and then kissed her soundly before carrying her to bed, setting her down on the mattress, and stripping down the rest of the way before joining her under the covers, sucking her breasts gently, and, after kissing her inner thighs, buried herself inside her over and over until they both collapsed from exhaustion.

* * *

"Have you seen Lisa this morning?" Amy asked Elijah as they both drank their coffee and ate their breakfast. "I haven't. I want her to eat before everything gets cold."

"It _is_ a bit odd for her to not be down to eat," Elijah agreed. "Maybe I should check on her and see if something is wrong."

Amy nodded and went back to her coffee as Elijah headed upstairs. Then, his cry of shock made her drop her cup. It shattered all over the floor, leaving a puddle of coffee next to her chair.

"What is it?" She called. "What's the matter?" She left her cup be and ran upstairs, finding Elijah, frozen and staring into Lisa's room where their daughter lay, naked and asleep in Lee's arms.

Well, she _had_ been asleep, but she wasn't now. Her eyes were wide and she was struggling to cover herself up. "Daddy! Why didn't you knock?"

"It's not like I knew you had a visitor!" He cried.

"I'm not proud of it," Lisa said through her teeth and roughly shook Lee awake. "Okay, get dressed and go," she said.

"Good morning to you too," Lee said. His eyes flicked over to Elijah in the doorway and he chuckled, getting dressed and then disappearing without so much as a goodbye.

"Did he do this to you?" Elijah asked. "Was it his idea?"

"I told him he could," Lisa sighed and reached for her night gown. "I knew he wouldn't let go of the idea until we did it. I was just getting him out of the way. And I didn't mention it to you because I knew you'd get all judgmental on me. I'm an adult now. I can have male company if I want to!"

"You...you can," Elijah forced out. "But he's Lucifer's son and a demon! Surely you could do better!"

"And I will," Lisa told him quickly. "I've done all I need to with him. You won't see him around here again."

"Good," Elijah said.

"Why don't you get dressed and come down for breakfast?" Amy asked. "You must be hungry."

"Yeah," Lisa said, zapping on an outfit and following her parents out of the room. "I really am."

* * *

"Lauren!" Vincent exclaimed as she met him on the steps of the courthouse. "What is it that you had to tell me? Your note was very cryptic."

"Before I say anything, I have to make sure you complied with what I wrote," Lauren replied. "Do you have any lawyers with you?"

"No," Vincent said firmly. "Your note said you wanted this just to be us and I could tell my staff after and I did what you said. So...what is it that you want?"

"I've decided to take the deal," Lauren replied.

"What?" Vincent was so shocked that he nearly fell down the courthouse steps. "You will? You and Nick will come home with me and do the sex and the therapy?"

"Yes," Lauren sighed. "I think your conditions are sneaky and rotten, but if it will end all this, I'll do it. I don't want to fight anymore." She paused. "But here's my condition: I ge to pick my own doctor for my therapy. I promise I'll pick someone good."

"Fine," Vincent sighed. "You do it. I'm just glad you're coming home."

"Yeah, well," Lauren paused as she thought of her sister's reaction to her decision. "It's only for Nick, you know. I realize I've been a bit unreasonable. Your son needs to see his father."

"I see how you're dealing with this," Vincent said with a knowing smirk. "You're making this all about Nick so you can pretend like you aren't doing it to have sex with me."

"It's not all about you," Lauren snapped. "When I said I was doing this for Nick, I wasn't lying."

"Would you like to come now?" Vincent questioned. "Could I come with you to get Nick?"

"I don't think you should," Lauren replied. "If Toni sees you, she _will_ murder you. Especially if you say you're coming for Nick."

"Oh, you care," he said with a grin, pulling her hair loose, his fingers in it. "How sweet."

"I just don't want your murder on my conscience," Lauren replied. "You know, I almost cut a big section of my hair off just to spite you, but then I thought it wasn't enough of a reason to when I've worked so hard to get it how it is. You're damn lucky I love it so much."

"Yeah," Vincent replied and gave it a sniff. "I really am."

After Lauren managed to push him away and tell him to get a grip on himself, they got in his car and headed to the lawyer's office to sign the contract, then he put Lauren in the car to go get Nick and zapped himself home.

"You look happy," Noah observed. "What's going on?"

"My wife's finally coming back home," Vincent smiled. "And she's bringing our son with her. Wanna meet your nephew?"

"You have a wife and a kid?" Noah scowled. "That's disappointing. I thought you were too cool for that. I just lost all respect for you."

"Hey, even Dad got married and had kids," Vincent reminded him.

Noah just chuckled and shook his head at his brother's silliness as Vincent looked out the front window for his car, then nearly pulled the door off its hinges in his eagerness to get it open so that Lauren and Nick could get inside as soon as possible.

"Hi!" He exclaimed as Lauren came in with Nick in her arms. He wasn't an infant anymore, but a thriving toddler, who didn't seem to be put off by his father's exuberance at all and in fact, laughed loudly as Vincent took him and spun him around the room.

"I'll go find a room to be in," Lauren told him.

"Oh, you'll be in my room," Vincent told her, pausing.

"No, I won't," Lauren shook her head. "I mean, I will when I sleep with you, but you didn't say I had to be all the time." She then strode off as Vincent mentally cursed himself. She was right. He should have thought of that.

* * *

Gwen drove back to her house (she'd been hiding with Rebecca until she was ready to face Mikael and Jeffrey) and after parking her car in the garage, she got out, leaned against the car, pulled out her phone, and called Steve.

"I finally decided to see Mikael and Jeffrey," she said. "I thought I could do it, but I can't. I just...please come. Please help me."

There was a wait of a minute or so and then words appeared. "Open the door."

She did and found Steve on the other side. "Hello, Gwen," he greeted her. "Lovely to see you. Your friends say they've been waiting for you forever."

"We have," Jeffrey said as he and Mikael stood up from the kitchen table and approached her. "What's taken you so long to come back? It's almost as if you've been avoiding us."

"Yes, it kind of hurts we didn't get a warm welcome, Gwendolyn," Mikael added.

"Yeah, well, you know I'm not the sort to welcome a man home with a newspaper, pipe, and slippers," Gwen pointed out. "And I haven't been avoiding you. Rebecca needed my help."

Mikael and Jeffrey looked at one another. "I think she's lying to us," Jeffrey said.

"I agree," Mikael told him. Then he looked at Steve. "And who's that?" He asked. "How many men do you need?"

"He's God," Gwen blurted out.

They all looked at one another and then Steve and Mikael burst out laughing.

"She's making it up, of course," Steve said when he could get a breath and then shook Mikael and Jeffrey's hands. "I'm Steve Smith."

"Naturally, she's making it up," Mikael replied after giving Steve a curt nod. "Or at least being metaphorical. She wouldn't call me that so what makes you so special?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that I am," Steve replied with a blush. "Silly Gwen, thinking I'm God. I don't deserve that. I'm just a humble doctor, that's all."

Gwen frowned and kicked him. "Can we talk, please?"

"Fine," Steve replied and winced.

Gwen took him into a corner far away from Jeffrey and Mikael and said, "What was that? You lied! You made me look crazy!"

"Well, it's not good to go around blurting who I really am to people," Steve chided. "I'd prefer to keep that between you and I and my family for now."

"Okay, fine, but did you have to show that by making me look like a lunatic?" Gwen snapped. "Did you?"

"Well I had to think on my feet!" Steve told her. "I didn't expect you to tell them outright. I thought you would know we were being careful."

"I'm sorry," Gwen said. "I apologize. I'll be more careful in the future."

"Thank you," Steve told her, looking in her eyes and putting his hands on either side of her face. "I appreciate it, Gwen."

"Now, what am I gonna do about Jeffrey and Mikael?" Gwen wanted to know. "I don't want them around anymore, so how do I get rid of them?"

"I'm surprised you need to ask," Steve told her, and he genuinely was. "I didn't think you were the sort to mince words or care for others' feelings when you want them out of the way."

"Well, I don't think they'll burst into tears or anything," Gwen said. "But they'll cause trouble if I don't do it right. And if I can avoid that, I'll be a happy woman."

"You can do it," he told her. "Just say what you want. I'll be here for you."

"Fine," Gwen said and made her way back to the men with Steve behind her. "But if something bad happens to me because of this, it's your fault."

Steve just gave her a smile and a push. "Tell them what you have to say," he encouraged.

"Before you do," Mikael said, "We want out. It was bad enough when you were juggling the two of us. We won't be waiting when you deal with a third."

"Now calm down, Mikael," Jeffrey said. "This has to be a joke."  
Mikael took a deep breath. "Fine, you're right," he got out. Then he faced Gwen again. She was watching him with a guarded expression. "You have your tantrum now, Gwendolyn. But be at the breakfast table tomorrow. I'll be waiting for you, and if you don't come, I'll get you myself." He then gave Steve a glare, before changing his mind, taking Gwen's arm, and dragging her from the room as she struggled against his grip and tried to scratch his face so he would release her. 


	18. Angel Under Cover

"You don't have to come," Amy told Lisa as they, along with Elijah, got in the car to go to Lucifer's so Elijah could rage at him about Lisa and Lee and how he'd found them together. "Your dad just needs to get it out of his system. I bet Lucifer will be able to handle it. He's seen it before."

"I know I don't have to come," Lisa replied. "But I just...I want to make sure Dad doesn't go overboard, even if it couldn't possibly lead to anything bad. I'm partly responsible for the mood he's in."

"No, you're not," Amy said firm as they drove and Elijah tried to ignore them. "You're an adult who made an adult choice. Your dad's anger is his own problem."

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to be worried for the reputation of my own child now?" Elijah asked, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "Do you know what might happen if this behavior continues?"

"Yes, and I'm not stupid," Lisa blurted out. "I'd tell Lee to use a condom, don't worry." She then enjoyed how her father's face turned bright red and he didn't say another word the rest of the way to Lucifer's.

* * *

When they arrived, Elijah, remembering where Lucifer's office was from the other world, strode straight there and knocked on the door, yelling for Lucifer to let him in. There was a silence and then Ellie poked her head out.

"Hello," she said with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"You can tell your husband that I want to have a word with him and make sure his son keeps his lusty paws off my Lisa!" Elijah snapped.

Ellie then turned her gaze to Lisa, who mouthed, "Ignore him. It's okay."

"Why don't you come in and we can talk about this?" Ellie offered. "I can even get someone to bring tea or coffee or something if you want."

"Let's do that!" Amy said quickly before Elijah could speak. "That's nice."

So they went into the office, but Lisa was locked out.

"Don't you think I should be part of this, since it's about me?" She called.

"No," Elijah called. "This is something that Lucifer and myself have to deal with. I'm sure you can find a way to entertain yourself until we're done."

"Oh, I sure can!" Lisa called back, then turned on her heel and went in search of Lee.

* * *

"I hope you're proud of yourself!" She snapped as she burst into Lee's room. Since she'd been locked out of Lucifer's office while he and her father talked, she didn't know where else to go.

"I _am_ frankly," Lee said without looking at her and then finally turned after adjusting the black leather coat he wore. "You came back. Do you want more?" He grinned and began undoing his pants.

"No, I don't!" Lisa said and quickly lowered her eyes. "Dad's mad now that he knows about us. He's reading your dad the riot act now."

Lee chuckled and put his hand under her chin to bring her gaze up so they were looking one another in the eye. "I cannot believe you're so afraid of your father that it stops you from doing what you want. You're a coward."

"I am not!" Lisa pouted. "And how _dare_ you! I came here to warn you in case Dad came after you too, but now I don't think I mind if he beats you into a pulp!"

Lee just shook his head and grinned in a way that made Lisa have warmth in her belly. "I'd like to see him try," he said.

"That's a fight I'd pay to watch," she said. "He'd kick your ass."

"No, he wouldn't," Lee shook his head, coming toward her and grabbing her wrists, his forehead leaning against hers. "I'd win."

"Would not," Lisa argued.

"Would too," Lee shot back.

"Would not," Lisa said stubbornly.

Then Lee shook his head. "Enough of this," he told her. "Even if you think I couldn't beat your father in a fight, I could overtake _you_ easily. We know that. It's obvious to me when you want to be taken. Just like you do right now."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lisa shook her head, inhaling sharply and trying to step back. "I don't!" She backed up and bumped against his large bed, falling on her back onto the mattress. She lay there, and he was soon looming over her.

"You're not getting up," he remarked, his dark gaze filling up her vision as she felt him pluck at her skirt. "That should be saying something."

"You wanna have your way with me, fine!" Lisa shouted and pulled up her skirt. "Go ahead!"

Lee moved her so she was laying less awkwardly on the mattress, then undressed the rest of the way and got her panties off, then she made sure to zap a condom on him (which made him roll his eyes), and then he kissed her soundly and buried himself inside her over and over without much more ceremony as she threw her arms around his neck and he threaded his fingers through her red hair as she moaned and whispered his name, pulling his body close to hers.

Finally, they let out a shout and he rolled off her and onto the mattress beside her.

"See," he grinned. "I told you that wasn't so bad. You can lord it over your father again."

"Did you only have sex with me to anger my father?" Lisa asked.

"I think that's why you agreed to it with _me_ ," Lee told her. "I'm no fool. It's lucky you're pretty." He reached out and moved a red curl out of her eyes.

"I wouldn't have sex with you just to spite my father," Lisa shook her head. "I'm not like that."

"So you had sex with me because you _like_ me?" Lee asked and raised an eyebrow.

"No, let's go with spite for now," Lisa quickly backpedaled.

"Right," Lee nodded, gave a chuckle and kissed her one more time. "Of course."

* * *

Meanwhile, Amy and Ellie were doing their best to keep their husbands from killing each other (or at least keeping Elijah from attacking Lucifer), and the meeting was going about as well as one would think.

"You know, you've told me all this about Lee and I still don't see the problem," Lucifer remarked with a grin as a vein popped out of Elijah's forehead. "It seems like your daughter was doing something she wanted to do. Why is this wrong?"

Then Amy and Ellie both grabbed Elijah as he let out a growl and launched himself over the desk. "You just tell your demon son to stay away from my daughter!" He cried and showed his teeth. "I don't want him anywhere near her!"

"Why not?" Lucifer asked. He looked genuinely offended now. "What's wrong with Lee?"

"He's a demon, is he not?" Elijah asked. "I don't want my daughter to be with demons."

"I thought your feelings about demons were more positive now, seeing as how Lily is one and she's dating one," Lucifer pointed out. "What's the difference between Lee and Arthur?"

"The difference is that Arthur is a _good_ boy!" Elijah got out. "Lee isn't!"

"Because he's _my_ son?" Lucifer stood up. "If his father was anyone else, he'd be good enough for Lisa?"

"Yes!" Elijah cried. "I think so!"

Then to everyone's surprise, Lucifer gave Elijah a good, hard punch which seemed to put his jaw out of alignment for just a few seconds before it healed and he got up from slamming into a book case, which tottered dangerously before Amy put a spell on it to keep it upright.

"All right," she said. "That's enough. We'll go now."

"You might want to," Lucifer taunted. "You don't want to leave precious Lisa alone for too long! Who knows who or what she's gotten herself into!"

* * *

Sarah tossed and turned, groaned and punched her pillow. She was restless and from how her stomach felt, little kicks coming constantly, she wasn't the only one. She needed Sean. Even though she knew it was a bad idea, even though she knew they'd agreed to stay away from each other, it was too much to ask. She _needed_ him.

So she put on her sneakers, went downstairs, grabbed her raincoat, put a hand on the door knob, and was about to turn it when she heard a whisper at her back.

"Where are you going? Are you okay?" Then the lights came on and she let out a breath when she saw it was only Tom, one of the security men she'd gotten close to, who'd appointed himself as her unofficial bodyguard.

"I just need to see Sean, okay?" She told him.

He nodded and let her go on her way. She drove to Sean's just as it began to rain, and as she pulled into the driveway, nearly ran into someone pulling out. Then she saw Sean's face in the driver's side window. They both stopped their cars, got out, and ran to each other, kissing furiously.

"Were you leaving?" She asked.

"I was coming to get you," he told her. "I missed you too much."

"I have too," Sarah told him. "I've been lonely and tired and I think...I think I need a doctor."

"You mean that in sexy way, right?" Junior clarified as he held her close and led her out of the rain. "I don't need to take you to the hospital or anything?"

"No," Sarah shook her head and sneezed. "I just need to be with you." She looked up into his eyes. "What do you recommend as a cure for loneliness?"

"Cuddles," he said with a smile. "Kisses. Possible nakedness." He winked. "I hope that's all right with you."

"Do you hear me complaining?" Sarah grinned widely.

They began with a soak together in a bath. He scrubbed her gently with a loofah and washed her hair, then dried her off and put her in a t-shirt.

"That's better," he said. "Now you're not wet. Would you like some tea?"

"No, thanks," Sarah shook her head and boosted herself onto his bed, patting the empty mattress beside her. "I just want to be with you, even if it's just for a little while."

"Works for me!" Junior told her, hopping in after her, grabbing her, and covering her face with kisses.

They'd honestly intended to just cuddle, but of course they were soon naked and going at it.

"Yes!" Sarah cried, a smile on her face as he nibbled on her neck and pushed into her. "Oh, yes, I have needed this so much! Good thing I can't get pregnant again!"

Junior chuckled as his hands roamed over her body. "It seems I was right," he said seriously. "Your problems would be solved by a good fuck."

"You're such a good doctor!" Sarah told him.

"I _do_ like being doctor best when I'm playing it with you, rather than when I'm at work," Junior replied. Then, he kissed her belly.

"You know, you're not big," he remarked. "Very fit. But I shouldn't be surprised since you work at the gym. You're not overdoing it, are you?"

"No, I promise," Sarah assured him, her dark eyes sparkling. "I've taken over teaching pregnancy aerobics, so I'm good."

"Wonderful," Junior said.

"It's much more fun to work out with _you_ , though," Sarah grinned and kissed him before he entered her again. "That's for sure."

* * *

It didn't take long for what Sarah had done to get around the house and reach Maeve, who was staying there, away from Sarah, of course.

"Your daddy is still hanging around that woman," she sighed and kissed the girls. "I just don't care anymore. He can do what he wants. I'm glad I'm keeping you two away from it, though. You don't need that sort of influence." She then tucked them in. She had just recently been able to leave them in a bedroom of their own and as she tucked herself in her own bed, she struggled with that decision, resisting an impulse to go back and bring them to be with her.

And it was good she did because she would have come face to face with Michael and Gabriel otherwise and none of them were fans of each other.

"I don't know why we're here," Michael huffed as his brother picked up Lexie. "I had things to do."

"Well, you know we're here for a job and so your extracurricular activities will have to wait. Now do something with Emma. I'm taking Lexie to the kitchen to get her a bottle." Gabriel gave his brother a look and left the room with his charge, placing her carrier on the table as he looked for a bottle, and as his back was turned, he heard a voice that made him hit his head on the fridge.

"I don't really go for milk now," it said. "Is there any coffee in there?" He turned to see Lexie, lithe, naked, and grinning, and wondered if Emma was the same. If she was, his brother's night would probably be picking up.

"I don't know," he said, his eyes averted. "I don't know much about where everything is in this kitchen."

She shrugged and then sat on the counter. "Okay, I won't have coffee then. I'll just have whatever you find in there. I'm not picky."

He turned around and frowned at her. "You really shouldn't sit on the counter like that when you're not wearing anything. It's unhygienic."

"Oh, shut up!" Lexie scoffed, giving him a very Maeve-like look. "Who died and made you God?" This guy was an angel. Somehow, she knew.

"Do you really want me to give you a serious answer to that question?" Gabriel wanted to know as he handed her a glass of milk. "Cause my Father sent me here to look after you."

Lexie scowled at the milk and put it down beside her. "Seriously?" She asked. "Why would He care about _me_?"

"Why wouldn't He?" Gabriel asked. He couldn't tell her much more than that. "Please drink your milk and put on some clothes."

Lexie sighed. "Fine," she got out and gulped her milk down. "Whatever."

When they got to the bedroom, they found Emma and Michael staring at each other. Michael had a grin on his face, amused by Emma's failed attempt to cover herself up with a tiny baby blanket.

"Would you stop staring at me, you perv?!" Emma shouted. "Get out of here, or I'll get my mother! I don't know who the hell you think you are, but..."

"I'm Gabriel," Gabriel replied and tried to calm her down. "This is my brother, Michael. You'll have to excuse him. He has no manners."

"All right, but what are you doing in my room?" Emma asked. She looked at Lexie. "Do _you_ know?"

Lexie shrugged and zapped robes on her and her sister. "Gabriel claims God is looking out for us."

"Oh, well if that's the case, it's real nice of Him to send a pervert to do it!" Emma exclaimed, feeling much bolder now that she was covered up. She was blonde and blue eyed and looked like an angel, but there was more Maeve in her than there appeared to be. She frowned and gave Michael a push. "Get out!" She screamed. "Get out!"

"Let's go before we wake Cruella. If Maeve thinks we're causing her kids trouble, it won't end well." Michael told his brother. Then he winked at Emma. "But don't worry, sweet pea. I'll be back."

"And I'll be waiting for you," Emma promised, a tiny pistol appearing in her hands as her sister chuckled and Michael smirked. "I promise you that."


	19. Facing Trouble Head-On

The next morning, Sarah woke up, grinned at the sight of Sean beside her, and then scooted forward so that she could ruffle his hair and kiss him, even though he was asleep.

But the second her lips touched his cheek, his eyes opened and he grinned. "Good morning," he told her. "So nice that you're still here."

"I'm glad I'm here too!" Sarah grinned and then made a face.

"What?" Sean asked worriedly as he propped himself up on his elbows. "What happened?"

"I'm good," Sarah smiled. "The baby is just saying 'Good morning' too. Doesn't want us to forget he's here."

"Should we really keep calling the baby 'He' if we don't know?" Junior questioned. "It might mess us up if it's a girl."

"I don't think it is," Sarah insisted. "I think it's a boy. I really do."

He nodded and grinned, then took her in his arms and gave her a kiss. They made out and then Junior's eyes caught the time on the clock. "Sorry, sweetie. I gotta go to work."

"All right," Sarah sighed. "Me too."

Then Sean's phone rang. He groaned when he saw who it was and tried to ignore it. But it just kept ringing until he finally picked it up. "What do you want, Maeve?" He snapped. "I have to go to work."

"You'll have to be late today," Maeve responded curtly. "I need you at Lucifer's now."

Sean wanted to resist the impolite summons, but then he realized that maybe it was because the girls were sick and he didn't want to miss that. Not when he was in a good position to help.

"All right," he told her. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Maeve hung up without so much as a 'goodbye', and as he was putting his phone down and preparing to explain things to Sarah, _her_ phone rang. It was Josh.

"Yes?" She said. "What...what can I do for you?"

"I've gotten the divorce papers drawn up," Josh told her. "I think that will be better for both of us. Can you come now and get this taken care of, please? And don't worry, I'm at Lucifer's now. It won't be just us alone. You're coming?"

"Sure," Sarah replied. "Just let me get dressed and tell my brother I'll be to work a bit late and then I'll be right over."

The call ended and Sean and Sarah looked one another in the eye. "I gotta go face Sean," she said. "He's got the divorce papers ready."

"Good luck," he told her. "I have to go see Maeve. I think the girls are sick."

"Oh, dear," Sarah said, her hands going to her belly. "I'm sorry. I hope it turns out all right. And I'll see you later."

"You will," Sean replied.

"Josh wants me to sign the papers at Lucifer's, so I guess we're both going there," Sarah remarked and zapped some clothes on. "You want me to go before you so we don't come in at the same time?"

"Sure," Sean nodded. "That might be best. Good luck."

"You too," Sarah replied and gave Junior one last kiss before they both left to face the music.

* * *

When Sarah arrived at the house, she thought she'd be able to get in, find Josh, get the papers signed, and get out without running into Maeve. Not that she was scared of the demon. Not that she was afraid to face her. She just...she just didn't want to deal with the trouble of it all if she didn't have to. But no such luck.

The second she set foot in the door, Maeve appeared as if she'd been lying in wait. "Well, look who finally decided to show her face," she hissed. "The slut whose been spending every night with _my_ man! How you can look at yourself in the mirror, I don't know."

Sarah would have answered this accusation with a sharp retort of her own, but when she saw Emma and Lexie coming down the stairs behind Maeve's back, she refrained.

"Hi, girls," she got out and hugged them both as Maeve scowled. Emma showed her affection much more readily than Lexie did, and hugged her longer, before Sarah excused herself and explained she had to go find Josh.

She looked for Tom, who said that Josh was waiting for her in the parlor room.

"You want me to come with you?" He offered. "I know things are difficult between you and him and I want you to feel safe."

"Thanks," Sarah told him. "I don't think there's anything to worry about, but I won't refuse you."

So Tom led her to the parlor where Josh was waiting on the sofa with a lawyer and a pen and paper.

"Hello, Josh," Sarah greeted as he rose and handed her the pen.

"Hello," Josh replied, his face and voice tired. "Let's get this over with, shall we?"

* * *

When Junior arrived at the house, he strode inside and went looking for Maeve, and was stopped by two girls he'd never seen before, but he sensed who they were.

"Lexie?" He asked. "Emma? Did you two grow up? When did this happen?"

"Not too long ago," Emma said and hugged him. "You haven't missed much." Then she gave him a smile. "It's so nice you came to see us, though!"

Lexie gave him a hug too and they chatted nicely until Maeve showed up.

"So nice of you to show your face in a timely manner, given your history of avoiding unpleasant responsibilities," she said, eyes narrowed and arms crossed. "Have you had a nice chat with your father, girls? I know you've been wondering why he doesn't live here. Has he told you that it's because he's been cheating on me with Sarah?"

This made Emma and Lexie let Sean go quickly and turn to their mother.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked her while Lexie frowned. Then Emma turned to her father. "Daddy, what is Mom talking about?"

"Go ahead and tell them," Maeve urged him. "I want to see you do it."

"You should be ashamed of yourself," Sean replied, his eyes narrowed. "I was planning on telling them. _You're_ the one who's being cruel here. _Not_ me." He then turned to the girls to try and soften what their mother had told them, but he quickly saw that it would do no good.

Emma's face crumpled, she burst into tears and ran out, but before Lexie followed suit, she frowned deeply and gave Sean a swift kick in the shin. "How could you do that?" She growled. "How could you cheat on our mother like that? Doesn't she mean _anything_ to you? Don't _we?_ I'm glad you've decided you hate us now and don't want anything to do with us because I _certainly_ don't want anything to do with _you_. You're awful! You're a jerk! I hope you're ashamed of what you've done!" Then, after spitting at his feet, she strode away from them, presumably to go comfort her sobbing sister.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the parlor, Sarah was hesitating to sign the papers until she got out all she had to say to Josh, who was fidgeting impatiently beside her.

"Just do it," he told her. "Please. It's not hard to sign your name."

"Fine," Sarah sighed, her eyes locked on his as she wrote. "But I want you to know that I really _did_ love you, Josh."

"Not like you love Sean, though," Josh got out. "I know that. It's nice it finally came out so we both weren't living this lie anymore."

Sarah sighed, shook her head, and bit her lip before putting the pen down. "There," she said and handed the pen and papers to the lawyer. "The papers are signed. "May I go now?"

"Please," Josh nodded. "Wouldn't want to keep you from your affairs."

"It's work. Sean," she said firmly, and then backpedaled with a blush as he scowled deeply. "I mean, Josh. I have to go to work."

"Whatever you have to tell yourself to make all this okay," he told her before he strode out of the room, leaving her alone and somewhat dispirited.

* * *

As was becoming her habit, Gwen found herself walking around the park because it helped her think...and usually led to other things too.

"Well, look who's here!" Steve remarked with a smile from his bench as he saw her and put his book down. "I've been waiting for you. Please come sit by me!"

"How did you know I would be here?" She questioned, sitting down and shaking some blonde hair out of her eyes before scoffing at herself. "Stupid me. You know everything, don't you?" She then gasped and blushed slightly. "I hope you didn't see me change my clothes three times before I left the house. I wanted to be wearing the perfect outfit when I saw you. Aren't I silly?" She chuckled nervously.

"I think that's adorable," he replied, scooting close to her before giving her a soft kiss and murmuring, "How are you today, Gwen?"

"I'm good," she shrugged. "Could be better, but Mikael's causing trouble. That's nothing new, though. I'm used to it."

"He's giving you grief?" Steve asked.

"He wants me back!" Gwen cried. "I won't do it!"

"It won't happen," Steven assured her as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't worry."

When she was sitting straight up again, she noticed that Steve was looking into space. He seemed distracted.

"Are you all right?" She asked. "What's the matter? Can I help?"

"No, no, thank you," he told her with a shake of his head. "I'm just worried about my grandson, Noah. He's another one that was born with a more troublesome personality. Angelica's the only one who behaves well quite easily." He sighed.

"I thought Noah was a baby!" Gwen exclaimed. "When did he grow up?"

"Not long ago," Steve replied. "You'll see him soon. He's headed this way."

And so it came to be, with a dark haired, dark eyed young man wearing dark trousers, a white shirt, and a black jacket coming down the path toward their bench.

"Watch," he told Gwen. "You'll see why I worry."

And she did as he got up from the bench and approached the young man. "Excuse me," Steve said. "Can I have a moment of your time?"

Noah gave him a disdainful glance and a scoff before reaching in his pocket for a few crumpled dollar bills. "Take them and leave me alone," he said. When Steve didn't take them, Noah threw them on the ground and began to walk away, stopping when Steve grabbed his arm and pulled him back, his face in a deep frown.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked, his voice tense and his face angrier than Gwen had seen it.

"Yes," Noah spat, trying to pull away. "You're a nuisance to me. Let me go! Rabble such as yourself should not touch me!"

That was enough for Steve. Fire in his eyes, he shoved his grandson against a tree and put a hand around his throat as Gwen watched in shock, wondering if she should get up and interfere. "I'm trying to help you!" He hissed. "I know how reckless, cruel, and dishonest you'll become and I don't want that! You won't want it either. Do you understand? You're my grandson and I want more than that for you!"

Noah's eyes widened and he began muttering apologies in a strangled voice. "Let me go," he begged. "Please, I'm sorry!"

"I should hope you would be," Steve told him firmly and let him go. "Now that you recognize me, I hope I won't have to be so firm with you again. Will I?"

"No, sir," Noah shook his head and rubbed his throat.

"Good," Steve replied. "Go on your way and don't cause any trouble."

"Yes, sir," Noah said, twitching nervously before running off without another word.

"I think you scarred him for life," Gwen remarked with a nervous swallow as Steve sat back down and put an arm around her. "Remind me _never_ to make you angry like that."

Steve sighed. "I know I came across as cruel and I'm sorry if it frightened you, but I promise you that I would _never_ treat you that way. If you knew what I knew about Noah's future, it would make sense why I did what I did."

"Of course," Gwen replied. "I've dealt with some difficult children myself. You're only doing what you think is best." She gave him a hug. "That's the tough thing about being a parent, isn't it? Or a grandparent."

"Yes," Steve sighed and kissed Gwen's hair. He was very glad she was there. "It certainly is, my dear."


	20. Fight Fire With Fire

Lauren came into her room one night and found a box on the bed. She'd been dutifully fulfilling the terms of the deal ever since she'd moved back in with Vincent, and it was getting harder and harder to act like she didn't enjoy herself. She just hoped he wasn't on to her. She'd never hear the end of it if he was.

"I wonder what this is," she told herself, taking the card off the top of the box and reading it with a scoff. "I should have known." The gauzy white negligee and matching robe were from Vincent, of course.

 _Wear this tonight,_ the note read. _I think you'll look lovely in it._

It was a nice gift, that was for sure. And beautiful. But she didn't want to accept it. With how she felt about him, it would be wrong! And she had principles to stand by!

Sighing, she took the box to Nick's room and put it on. "What do you think?" She asked her little boy. "Do you think I should be nice to Daddy and wear this for him for not?"

"Yes," Nick nodded and toddled toward her, attaching himself to her leg and putting a bit of the gauzy fabric of the robe in his mouth.

"No, no," Lauren shook her head, feeling offended that her son was tainting her nice present with his drool. "That doesn't go in your mouth. That's not for eating." She then sat him down and read him a book, and when he was settled in his bed and playing with his toys, she changed back into her normal clothes and went to the kitchen to get something to eat, gasping when, as she looked in the large fridge, she felt arms close around her and heard a voice in her ear.

"Did you get my present?" Vincent whispered while nibbling on her earlobe. "Will you wear it for me? Please?"

"Yes, I'll wear it for you," Lauren replied. "It's...it's really pretty. A nice surprise."

"I hoped you'd see it that way," Vincent grinned and turned her around so she was facing him before cupping her face in his hands and kissing her soundly.

"Wow," she said, wide eyed after they pulled apart. "Just...wow."

Vincent grinned wider and pulled a bag that contained pieces of cold chicken breast out of the fridge. "See you tonight," he told her.

"Yeah," Lauren gave a little chuckle and watched him leave. "I think you will!"

* * *

"Keep the power," Lauren whispered to herself as she stood outside Vincent's door, dressed in her negligee with her hand tightly gripping the doorknob and her hair up in its usual bun. "Keep the power. Don't let him overwhelm you. It's what he wants." She then nodded, took a deep breath, and knocked.

The door opened and Lauren started to say 'Here I am', but was cut off when she looked at Vincent and realized he was wearing nothing and holding a glass of champagne.

"Here you are," he said with a grin. "And right on time, too. Drink?"

"What?" Lauren asked, her eyes going up to meet his after boldly sweeping his body. She couldn't help it. He was hot and she was weak.

"I asked if you wanted a drink, but it seems like you would rather just get down to business." He winked. "That's okay too, you know. I don't mind." He then looked _her_ over. "I was right; that does look marvelous on you."

"Well, thanks," Lauren told him. "I'm glad you noticed." She then kept her eyes on him and grinned as she pulled her hair out of its tie and shook it out. "You know, I'm surprised you sent me clothes," she said, coming toward him and kissing him. "I would have thought the only cover you'd want on me is my hair."

Vincent chuckled. "Well, you're not wrong. But I thought it would be easier if we worked up to that." He pulled Lauren close to him, his hands cupping her bottom as he nibbled on her neck, then picked her up and carried her to his bed where he quickly undressed her and rubbed the silk sheets against her skin.

"That...that feels so good!" She got out. "Can I have that drink now?"

"Sure," Vincent nodded. "That's what I bought it for." He brough her the glass and then she grinned and refused it. "I just had another idea," she told him. "Lie down."

Intrigued, he did just that and soon, she was doing body shots with the champagne, slowly licking it off Vincent's stomach after cuffing his hands over his head.

"You know," he said, trying to control his breathing, "I really think you're enjoying yourself."

"Well, isn't that what you want?" Lauren asked, demon eyes showing for just a second before she poured the last bit of champagne on his neck and licked it off and then straddled him. "And why is it that you get to have all the fun?"

"I'm having plenty of fun," he told her with a grin as he played with her hair and thrust into her. "Lots and lots of fun."

"Good," Lauren grinned, a shiver going through her body as her hands ran over his stubble. "I would just have had to try _harder_ if you weren't." On that word, he pushed in again and when she climaxed, fell forward onto his belly, and he sneezed as her hair tickled his nose.

"Sorry," he apologized. "We can have a bath after this. I'll wash that."

"Okay," Lauren nodded and undid the cuffs, getting off him so he could lead her to he bathroom as he ran the tub and put the bubbles in, then got in and watched her intently as she followed him. Then she handed him the shampoo. "I hope you haven't forgotten this."

"I haven't," he said and then wet her hair, working the shampoo through it. "Don't worry."

* * *

"You know I wouldn't ask," Lauren called out a few days later as she made her way toward Vincent's room. "But I have something I have to do, so would you take a few hours from your partying lifestyle to watch Nick? I figure it's only right to ask since you're his father, Vincent, and-"

She paused as she reached his room and looked in, feeling a grin tug at her lips. Vincent was already playing with him. A kind of tug of war with one of his stuffed animals that Nick was enjoying immensely. They hadn't even heard a word of what she'd said. She cleared her throat and Vincent finally looked up, taking Nick in his lap.

"What's up?" He asked. "I heard you had to go out so I decided to watch Nick for you. Were you looking for him? I'm sorry."

"No," Lauren shook her head. "I came to ask you to do exactly what you're doing so...thank you. I'm going now."

"You're welcome," Vincent called after her as Nick tried to squirm out of his lap and get his toy. Vincent held onto him so he wouldn't tumble and hurt himself, but finally the squirming became too much and just let him go.

When Nick was on the floor and had his toy in his grip, he grinned and held it out to Vincent again, a look of challenge in his eyes. So Vincent began tugging at it again. Nick had a very strong grip for a little boy.

Eventually, his father got a look at the clock and then stood up, picking Nick up and taking him to the kitchen to give him something to eat.

"I think your mother would be very upset with me if I didn't feed you," he said. "So what do you eat?"

Finally, he decided on chopped fruit, juice, and pasta, and they sat together at an unusually empty table and ate.

"Well, look at this," Christopher remarked as he made his way to the table and grinned at them. "This is nice." He liked to eat at quieter times himself. Even though he'd adjusted a lot since Lucifer and Ellie had taken him in, he still felt, more often then not, lost in the craziness of the household and he did his best to avoid it.

"Look, Nicky, it's Uncle Christopher!" Vincent told him. "Wanna say 'Hi'?"

"Yes," Nicky said and reached out for Christopher, who took him in his arms. "Hi Kisfer!"

"Hi, Nicky," Christopher told him with a smile. "Let's see what you're eating; I might have some too!"

"Go ahead," Vincent grinned. "I think I made too much."

"Thanks," Christopher replied and came back with a bowl of pasta. It was nice to eat in peace and quiet, away from Hannah and her constant raging about Sarah and Junior. "You got a good son."

"I do," Vincent nodded and ruffled Nick's hair. "I really do."

* * *

What had called Lauren away was a meeting the man she had hired to be her doctor. He wasn't a doctor at all. He'd never even been to medical school. He was a young man who worked as a director at the local playhouse and also acted. Lauren had met him while doing volunteer work there and they'd hit it off. His name was Oliver, and she knew from the way his eyes lit up when he saw her and how quickly he accepted her offer of the job, he was sweet on her.

"So," he said as she sat down at a table in the cafe where they'd agreed to meet. "Tell me more about this doctor character. I've been reading up on psychiatry just like you told me I should."

His eyes were ocean blue, so different from Vincent's, and his hair was blond and shaggy. He seemed to never really be interested in its upkeep and just let it do what it would.

"Good," Lauren smiled. "And thank you so much for agreeing to do this. I know it seems kind of strange to be asked to pretend to be someone's doctor."

"No, no!" He said quickly. "I don't think it's weird at all." He paused and then said, "Sorry you and your husband are fighting." But his tone didn't match the words. "If there's anything I can do..."

"Well, I was thinking," Lauren leaned forward, "that if it was all right with you, we could start dating...if you wanted. Things between me and Vincent aren't good and...you aren't indifferent to me are you?"

"N...no," Oliver shook his head and blushed. "Is it that obvious? I know it's terrible cause you're married and all, but I just...you're very pretty."

"Thanks," Lauren grinned. "It's so nice to hear. I don't hear it often enough." She then picked up her menu. "You're the one who suggested this place. What do you recommend?"

"Well, they have a really good eggplant Parmesan," Oliver told her. "I don't know if I could make the best suggestions for you. I'm a vegetarian and I don't know if you are."

"No, I _love_ eggplant Parmesan," Lauren smiled. "Thanks for the suggestion!"

They both ordered it and a couple of sodas and then continued to talk about the plan.

"So...what exactly is it that I'm doing?" Oliver asked. "I mean, I know I'm playing a doctor, and I have all the right paperwork and all to make the ruse believable, but-"

"It's not complicated," Lauren replied. "You just...whenever I meet with my husband's lawyers, you have to come with me and tell them that my crazy condition is getting better. That's all."

"Why does your husband want you to be examined like this?" Oliver questioned. "Or is that too personal?"

"Oh, just custody issues with our son," Lauren told him. "Vincent's not dangerous or mean or anything. Just sneaky. I need to fight fire with fire." She paused. "Now that you know that, if it's making you feel used, you can back out. I know it doesn't make me sound good."

"No, i still want to do it," Oliver told her. "I'll be here for you." Then, he boldly reached out and took her hand.

She grinned and squeezed, looking into his eyes until the server came with their food, which they ate and talked about the job, then Lauren called Vincent. "I'm here with my doctor," she told him. "The one your lawyers want me to see. Do you want to meet him personally or not?"

"Of course I do!" Vincent told her. "I want to make sure you hired someone good and not just some quack off the street that will do whatever you say."

"Oh, you mean like your lawyers do for you?" Lauren shot back. "I _dare_ you to tell me to my face that I'm wrong about that."

"Just bring him to the house and we'll get this over with." Vincent's voice was curt. "Don't make this any more difficult than it already is." He hung up then and Lauren sighed.

"Everything okay?" Oliver asked. "Am I meeting your husband?"

"Not if you don't want to," Lauren said. "He can truly be an ass sometimes."

"I'll do it," Oliver told her. "It's part of the job. I can handle it."

"Okay," Lauren sighed. "But don't say I didn't warn you about him. He's going to eat you alive. I just know it."

* * *

Lauren had no idea how he did it, but Vincent was surrounded by his lawyers when she and Oliver arrived for the meeting.

"I thought we should all be on the same page," Vincent told them, and then looked at Oliver. "You're not intimidated, are you? I'm Vincent, by the way."

"Doctor Oliver McConnell," Oliver told him. "I would say 'Pleased to meet you', but I'm not, so I won't. Let's just get down to business, shall we?"

"We shall," Vincent nodded. "I hope you don't mind my lawyers questioning you about your background and doing a background check before you and Lauren start working together."

"No, no," Oliver replied, straight-faced. "We all want what's best for Lauren. I won't be difficult."

"Good," Vincent nodded. "Thank you."

He then stepped back and the lawyers commenced their questioning, and to Lauren's shock, Oliver got through it with flying colors. He didn't even so much as flinch.

He's a damn good actor, she thought to herself. He should get an Oscar for this.

Afterward, Vincent had a look in his eyes that was something like grudging respect. "You seem to have passed the first test," he said. "We'll let you know the results of the background check."

"I'm sure everything will be to your satisfaction," Oliver replied. He and Lauren had spent hours making up his fake doctor persona cause they knew Vincent would pull something like this. They'd even used some of Vincent's own contacts against him. Lauren was very proud of herself for that.

"I hope it is," Vincent told him. "I really want Lauren better."

Oliver nodded and then excused himself, leaving Vincent and Lauren alone.

"So?" Lauren asked. "Do you hate him? Are you going to give me grief?"

"I want you to fire him," Vincent replied. "I want you to hire a woman."

"Excuse me?" Lauren asked. "What do you mean by that? What did he do wrong? Exist? Breathe? Show that he cared about me?"

"Do I have to remind you that we're _married_?" Vincent asked. "You wouldn't pick someone like that for his brains!"

"How shallow do you think I am?" Lauren raged. "If you want me to fire Oliver, you have to fire that lead attorney of yours with the assets. I don't like her."

"No way!" Vincent shook his head.

"Why not, you hypocrite?" Lauren raged. "You know what? You're so stupid right now that I just can't deal with you! See you at dinner and don't you dare think of doing anything to Oliver!"

"I won't," Vincent told her, and then thought to himself as she walked away, I have _people_ to do things for me.


	21. Dreams Of The Dragon Lady

"Ow!" Angelica cried as a violently thrashing Sammy pushed her off their bed and onto the floor. He hadn't been sleeping well lately and more often than not, she'd gotten up to go be on the couch. It was less painful that way.

She got to her feet and shook him awake. It was time to get to the bottom of this. "Sammy! Sammy, what's the matter with you?"

When she turned on the light and came back, his eyes were wide with fright and his face was covered in sweat as he grabbed her, staring at something that was behind her back. "She's coming!" He muttered. "But I won't let her get you or anyone else!"

"Who?" Angelica asked. "Sammy, no one is coming!"

"The Dragon Lady is," Sammy insisted stubbornly. "She came to me and she told me so. I'm the only one who can see her, but it's true!"

"I believe you," Ellie told him. "I don't know why you would make something like that up."

"Good," Sammy nodded, grabbing her wrist and squeezing it hard. "Because like I said, she's coming after you and the twins. And when I say 'The twins', I mean Lexie and Emma."

"I know why the Dragon Lady would have something against _me_ because I was the reason Lucifer killed her, but...what does she want with the twins?"

"I don't know," Sammy shrugged. "I'm just having the dreams. I don't know what they mean."

Angelica gave him a long, hard hug and sighed. "It's gonna be okay. Let's get you some milk and a sandwich and then you can try and get back to sleep again, okay?"

"Yeah," Sammy nodded. "And I'm sorry I kicked you out of bed again. I hope you weren't hurt."

"Not seriously," Angelica assured him with a shrug as they got to their feet. "It's nothing that won't heal right away."

"Well, good," Sammy said. "Cause you know I don't want to hurt you."

They headed to the kitchen and got their milk and sandwiches, and as they ate, Sammy said, "You'll tell your mom about this? And your grandparents? We can't just keep it to ourselves."

"Of course not," Angelica promised. "I'll let them know. I promise."

* * *

"Angelica!" Lucifer cried happily when he opened the door and saw her standing on the other side. He picked her up and spun her around before bringing her inside. "I'm so happy to see you! You never visit anymore, you know?" He paused. "After the house is fixed up, you're gonna move back, right?"

"I know you want me to say 'Yes', but I think I like being with Sammy," Angelica told him as his face fell. "It's quieter at his place. But I _swear_ I'll come and visit more often. I realize that's slipped my mind since I left."

"You're damn right it has!" Lucifer nodded. "I've missed you!" He paused and grinned. "But you're here now and that's good. You want some breakfast?"

"Sure," Angelica nodded and got some eggs, bacon, and fruit. "Is Mom around? I have a matter of some urgency to relay to her."

"Oh, so you came with horrifying news for your mother and not just to see me?" Lucifer nodded. "Okay."

"You have to know too," Angelica replied. "Sammy's been having dreams about Lee's mom. Apparently, she's not as dead as we'd like and she's plotting revenge."

"Sam got this from a dream?" Lucifer scoffed. "Let's not panic yet. His visions could just be a product of an overactive mind."

"How can you not be worried, though?" Angelica questioned. "Mom, Lexie, and Emma will be in danger if what Sammy is dreaming is true, so wouldn't it be good to at least be prepared?"

"I suppose," Lucifer sighed. "Whatever you think is best."

Angelica put a hand on his arm. "Even if she's not dead, this is not your fault. You did the best you could."

"I don't fail like that!" Lucifer told her. "She _can't_ be alive! When I kill them, they stay dead!" He brought his fist down on the table with a _bang!_

"What's all this noise?" Ellie yelled and ran into the kitchen. "What's the matter?"

"Eleanor, Angelica claims that Sammy is having dreams about the Dragon!" Lucifer cried. "She says that according to him, I failed to kill her and that she's seeking revenge on you and the twins because of it." He paused. "But that has to be wrong, though. When I kill people, they _stay_ dead."

"I know, sweetie," Ellie told him. "You're _very_ good at killing. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

"Don't treat me like I'm a child," Lucifer scoffed and then stomped out of the room, leaving Angelica alone with her mother.

"Tell your parents," She urged. "Grandpa Sean needs to know that his girls are in danger. I'll let Maeve and Josh know."

"I'll just tell everyone," Ellie said. "I think I'm the only one who can stop those four from killing each other now."

"Well, good luck," Angelica replied and went back to her fruit. "If there's anything else I can do...let me know."

"I will," Ellie promised with a sigh. "I will."

* * *

"Why do you want to talk to us?" Junior asked Ellie, who had left for her parents' house once Angelica had gone back to Sammy. "Sweetie, if you're worried about us forgetting about you when your new sibling comes, we'll love you just the same!"

"Thanks, but...it's not about the new baby," Ellie told him. "It's not even about me! Well, it is, but...you remember the Dragon Lady? The one who attacked my ball and set the mansion on fire?"

"The one Lucifer killed?" Sarah nodded. "What about her?"

"Well, apparently she's not as dead as we thought," Ellie replied. "She's showing herself to Sammy as a spirit. She wants revenge and she's targeting me and the twins to get it. I know you and Josh and Maeve are fighting right now, but...I thought all of you would want to know. We have to save the girls!"

"We have to save _all_ of you," Sarah said. "Have you told Josh or Maeve yet?"

"No, but I'm going to," Ellie sighed. "I wanted...I wanted you to know first."

"Thanks," Junior said as he hugged her. "We appreciate it."

"No problem," Ellie told her. "I don't want to lose anyone in this mess."

"You won't," Junior promised. "It'll all be okay."

"Are you sure about that?" Ellie asked. "I know you're trying to be comforting, but you can tell me the truth: people might die! I might die!"

"You won't!" Sarah proclaimed with a shake of her head. "At least not permanently. Remember who your father-in-law is. And what you are. It's not like you're human. None of us are."

"True," Ellie sighed. "You have a good point. But even if I come back, I still have to die first and that's unpleasant! It could hurt!"

"Nothing will happen to you," Junior said firmly. "We're going to keep you safe. You're not gonna die."

"Thanks," Ellie replied and hugged him. "I feel a lot better now. I hope you do too."

"Not as good as you would think," Junior sighed, thinking of his poor innocent babies being attacked by a woman who had set a house on fire. "But at least we can fix it now that we know. It's all thanks to you."

"I'll talk to Maeve," Ellie said to her father. "You don't have to deal with her."

"Thanks," Junior scoffed and pushed his hair out of his eyes."That's probably for the best."

Ellie then turned her attention to her mother. "How are you doing?" She asked. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Pretty good," Sarah nodded. "I've been exercising and eating right...or trying to. I've been eating more junk than I'd like and I've...I've gotten bigger than expected. Maybe I should cut back on listening to my cravings."

"Oh, don't do that," Junior told her. "You're fine. Do you actually feel horrible?"

"No," Sarah shook her head.

"And you _don't_ look horrible either," Junior added. "So just keep doing what you're doing and it will be okay."

"All right," Sarah sighed and put a hand on her expanding belly. She knew he was right, but since her job was about being fit, it was really hard for her to believe it.

* * *

"So she wants to possess us?" Ellie asked as she poured another cup of coffee for herself and Sammy as he explained yet another dream of the dragon lady with shaky hands and sweat pouring down his face. He'd insisted on telling Ellie about this latest dream in person, as soon as he woke up from it, even though it was now three in the morning and he and Angelica were only half awake. "That's not gonna happen!" She would have loved to have Maeve and Josh with them for the discussion since the twins were affected, but they'd both agreed, after being told the news, that they would have a separate talk with her later, when the hour wasn't so weird. Ellie had agreed and then stepped away to let them sleep and let Maeve keep a close eye on Emma and Lexie, even though they were teenagers and not babies. That's what was best for now.

"How do you plan to stop her?" Lucifer asked. "She's very persistent! She wouldn't even let death bring her down!"

"Well, I assume she'll want to do it when we're at our most vulnerable, i.e. when we're sleeping," Ellie said. "So all we have to do is not fall asleep. Easy plan!" She smiled and her eye twitched

Lucifer and Angelica both sighed and looked at one another. "This plan isn't gonna work, is it?" She asked him.

"No," Lucifer shook his head. "I think not."

"Well, if you two are so smart, let's hear _your_ ideas!" Sammy cried. "I wouldn't mind being awake forever after what I've been seeing in my dreams. It's not pleasant!"

"Based on how much you've been thrashing, I'd say not," Angelica agreed.

"I hate this!" Ellie cried. "Why couldn't she have stayed dead? I saw it with my own eyes that you killed her, Lucifer. You don't come out of being set on fire just fine!"

"I thought I killed her too, but apparently I was wrong, and she can come back as a ghost to destroy us all," Lucifer cursed under his breath. "Damn her! Wasn't she in Hell? Where else would she go?"

"Oh, she was," Ellie told him. "I made sure to look in on her every day. _And_ your mother. Just so you know, _she_ doesn't like me either."

"Good to know," Lucifer sighed. "Good to know." He paused. "If something happened with you and my mother, if she threatens you in any way, i want you to let me know immediately, do you understand me, Eleanor? Don't be a hero and try to handle it yourself."

"Of course I wouldn't," Ellie scoffed and gulped down some more coffee. "What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"I just wanted to make sure we were clear about that," Lucifer told her. "It's bad enough that the Dragon Lady is after you without adding my mother to the mix."

They all sat in silence and drank their coffee and then, when the coffee cups were resting in warm water in the sink, Ellie noticed that both Angelica and Sammy were resting on the table. "Why don't you two stay here tonight?" She offered. "You both seem too tired to drive safely."

"No," Angelica sat up. "We can get home, I swear!"

"Maybe we should stay," Sammy said. "That could be a good idea, Angie."

"I'm awake," Angelica laughed the crazy laugh of a person who hasn't sleep much. "See how stable I am?" She went to the door and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn door!" She swore. She then tried every one she could get at and none of them would budge.

A worried Ellie enlisted everyone who was up to try a door, but none would open.

"What the hell?" She asked, dumbfounded. "We're locked in! We can't leave! What's _happening_?"

"I don't know, but we might as well go to bed," Sammy said, trying to pull Angelica away from the door that she was currently pounding on and screaming at after realizing that kicking it would hurt the worst. "Maybe we'll all get a better handle on this in the morning."

"What a good idea," Ellie remarked, chuckling as Sammy picked an enraged Angelica up, put her over his shoulder, and carried here away to bed.

"Are you going to be able to sleep?" Lucifer asked as he took Ellie in his arms and held her close. "If you're scared of all this, you can say so."

"I'll be able to sleep as long as you're beside me," Ellie said and stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss.

"Well, you know I always will be," Lucifer promised and then took her hand. "Let's go to bed, shall we?"

"Yes," Ellie remarked, shutting her eyes and leaning against his shoulder. She then felt him pick her up and carry her bridal style up the stairs. This was nice, she thought. She'd have to get him to do it more often.

* * *

"I thought a picnic would be fun," Gwen remarked the next time she met Steve at the park. But it was immediately apparent that he was not in a fun mood. He looked miserable.

"I'd ask if you're okay, but it's clearly not the case, so I won't," Gwen replied. "You want a sandwich? Or wine? I brought wine."

Steve finally looked at her and sighed. "Yes, Gwen, hello. I'm sorry if I'm not my usual good-natured self, but..."

"Weight of the world?" Gwen asked knowingly. "I don't blame you for being worried. Anything I can do to help? Care to share?" She began emptying the picnic basket and then when that was done, she poured them each a glass of wine. "I hope this helps," she said. "I know it's not much, but it's something."

After he finished his drink and got some food in him, he cheered up a bit. "Thank you so much for this picnic," he told her with a smile. "It was a nice surprise."

"You're welcome," Gwen replied, grinning back, even though for him, there was no such _thing_ as a surprise. "I'm glad it seems to have cheered you up a little."

"I'm going to be going away for a little while," he told her. "You know, upstairs. People to meet and things to do. I won't be gone long, though, I promise. I couldn't stay away from you forever."

"I wouldn't want you to," Gwen said. "You're the best thing in my life right now." She then spit out her wine as she noticed Mikael striding toward them.

"Let me guess," Steve said dryly. "Mikael is coming. And he looks angry."

"Yep," Gwen nodded.

"I'll handle this," Steve told her with a grin. "You just sit back and enjoy." He then turned as Mikael reached them.

"What in the hell is this, Gwendolyn?" He demanded. "What are you doing in this park with _him_?"

"We're eating, can't you see that?" Steve remarked. "It's one of the many things people do together. Of course you probably don't have many people in your life to socialize with so it doesn't surprise me that you don't know a nice picnic when you see one."

"How dare you!" Mikael spat.

"What brings you here?" Steve continued. "You weren't invited to our little party. Is there something you want to speak to us about?"

"Yes!" Mikael nodded. "The fact that the woman you're eating with is my wife is _very much_ a concern for me! You have no right! Gwendolyn, let's go."

"No, thank you," Gwen replied, causing Mikael to turn red. She'd been laughing behind her hand up until then. His rage was truly amusing. "Why don't you go home, Mikael?"

"Oh, don't be cruel to the poor man, Gwen," Steve told her. "He's bitter and alone and the only person he's got to go home to is Jeffrey."

"I am _not_ going home to Jeffrey!" Mikael said through his teeth. "I'm gonna go home with my wife."

"Apparently, he thinks if he keeps saying it, it will happen," Steve told Gwen knowingly before giving her a wink. "Is he right?"

"No," Gwen shook her head. "I'm not his wife. I haven't been for a very long time."

"Indeed," Steve agreed and took her hand. "You certainly haven't."

Mikael still refused to move, so with a flick of wrist, Gwen sent him flying backwards before he disappeared. "Well, that was easy enough," she remarked. "Don't know why I didn't think of it before. Now we can eat in peace again." She held up a platter. "Cake?"

"Don't mind I do," Steve said with a smile before giving her kiss. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," Gwen replied.


	22. The Dragon Slays

"You have to sleep!" Lucifer ordered Ellie, who was pacing around their bedroom after zapping herself up cup of coffee after cup of coffee. "You keep pacing like that, you'll wear a hole through the floor!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can sleep at all," Ellie snapped. She then left the room and headed to the room where Emma and Lexie were sequestered. She found them playing poker for pennies and they didn't even look up as she entered the room. "It's good everything seems okay in here," she got out. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Lexie said, focusing on the flush that would make her win the hand. "We don't need you in here. We're not scared. Go tell Mom that."

"I'm not here because of your mother," Ellie told them. "I just thought we could hang out. Everyone else wants me to sleep. I don't think I can."

"I can," Emma yawned.

"Don't!" Lexie said. "Otherwise the Dragon will attack us!"

"I know that!" Emma snapped, suddenly more awake. "But I can only push my body so far! I'd rather risk possession than go without sleep!"

"Nope, sorry, not gonna happen!" Lexie said and gestured at Ellie to come sit with them as she dealt another hand of poker. "No one is getting possessed. Not on my watch."

That firmly resolved, they kept the lights on and continued to play poker and drink coffee until, invariably, the crash happened. The caffeine crash.

"We should have kept ourselves up with magic," Emma yawned, her eyes slowly shutting as she rested her head on Lexie's shoulder and Ellie rested her head on Emma's. "This coffee...it's failed us..."

"Okay fine, you two sleep if you want to, but _I_ can stay awake," Lexie told her, her voice resolute, even though she was exhausted. "I can fight this!"

So as her sister and Ellie snored beside her, Lexie waited and sure enough, a woman with dark hair, dark eyes, and an evil grin slithered into the room as a cloud of smoke before taking human form and eying her.

"Why aren't you asleep like the others?" She asked, reaching out to stroke Lexie's dark hair. "You look tired. Wouldn't sleep be nice?"

"It would, but I won't sleep precisely because you want me to. You're going to hurt me and people I care about if I do," Lexie told her, batting her hand away. "Why don't you just go away and leave us alone?"

"Well, I can't do that, you see," The Dragon replied. "I was murdered. I was wronged. And I can't let that stand. I have to take vengeance!"

"You won't be able to," Lexie told her. "Lucifer killed you once for trying to hurt someone he loves and you can bet if you try it again, with any of us, he'll still fight you!"

"Oh, I know that," The Dragon replied. "Which is why I've decided to possess more than one person. It increases my odds of success, you know." She then stepped away from Lexie and looked down at Emma, reaching out to gently touch her hair. "Your sister is so beautiful," she remarked. "I think I'll take _her_ first! And then Ellie here."

"No, you won't!" Lexie cried, striking her, thankful that she'd become solid. "Not my sisters! Hands off!"

Soon they were tussling and even the Dragon had to admit that she was impressed by how skilled Lexie was as a fighter. But she soon tired and after the Dragon knocked her out, possessed her, and then invaded Ellie and Emma as well. They were still sound asleep and didn't even wake up in time to stop her.

* * *

When Ellie didn't come back after leaving the room, Lucifer got worried. He got out of bed and went in search of Josh and Sammy, and even called Junior to ask if if she'd left the house and gone to see him.

"She's not here," Sean shook his head. "You think she's missing? You want me to come over there?"

"Yeah," Lucifer told him. "Please."

Soon, all animosity temporarily forgotten in the face of Ellie's disappearance, Junior and Josh, along with Sammy and Lucifer, roamed around the house calling Ellie's name. They got no response, getting more worried by the minute. Then they heard a voice, and while they were initially pleased, that sense of delight quickly disappeared.

"Looking for me?" Ellie asked. She was standing at the top of the staircase that went up to the second floor. Her voice sounded different.

"Eleanor?" Junior and Lucifer and Josh said at the same time. "Are you all right?"

"Eleanor's not here anymore," Ellie told them as she slowly descended the stairs, her eyes jet black.

Then, when she reached the bottom of the stairs, she just laughed and laughed.

"Oh, geez, that's terrifying," Junior remarked. "What do you think we should do now?"

"Get Maeve," Lucifer instructed Josh. "We need all the help we can get now."

"And if she's sleeping, be careful when you rouse her," Junior called after him. "If she's woken suddenly, she tends to bite!"

"Thanks for the warning," Josh shouted back over his shoulder. "I'll remember that." He did remember it, of course. Now. He'd spent much more time around Maeve than Junior ever had.

He reached Maeve's room and, displaying no caution at all, roughly shook Maeve awake and was, as Junior had predicted, bitten on the hand for his trouble.

While he swore, Maeve sat up and frowned at him. "Have you lost your mind?" She asked, turning on the lamp next to her bed. The light was dim in an otherwise dark room and it made her dark skin seem to glow. "What do you want?"

"Ellie's been possessed," Josh explained. "It could very well be the Dragon doing it and we need your help!"

"Yes, you do!" Maeve replied. "I wouldn't trust all you men to handle this by yourselves! And who knows? Now that that bitch has her claws in Ellie, she could go after the twins too, and over my dead body will that happen!"

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Josh told her as she quickly dressed.

"I know, but...I swore to give my life to help Lucifer, you know that," she said.

"I got your back," Josh told her. "Of course I want to save Ellie too, at any cost."

"You do, don't you?" Maeve paused. "Let's do it, then."

"Yep," Josh sighed. "Let's do it."

* * *

By the time Maeve and Josh arrived downstairs, Lucifer and Junior had managed to get Ellie to a chair and restrained, although it was obvious that she wouldn't stay that way for long.

"You fools!" She cried with a wide grin, her hair in disarray and her eyes jet black. "You fools, you can't hold me! I've won! I've won!"

"No, you haven't," Lucifer told her. "Not by a long shot. We can get you out of there, you know."

"We can," Junior agreed. "And I know just the magic."

"I know you do, but are you willing to risk killing your daughter by enacting such a spell?" The Dragon asked.

Junior knew that his daughter was harder to kill than the Dragon realized and he knew that he could use this to his advantage.

"Yes," he said. "I can risk it."

"Do you have any idea what you're doing?" Maeve asked. "I hope this isn't just some stupid scheme."

"Just trust me, will you?" Junior snapped at her.

"Oh, of course, because I have had _so_ many reasons to do that lately," Maeve rolled her eyes, not noticing her daughters making their way down the stairs. Emma was rubbing her eyes and Lexie had a hand on her had, rubbing a bump.

"Would you just stop?" Junior snapped. "Now is not the time for this!"

Maeve sighed and grabbed Ellie by the neck to hold her, just as Junior did the spell to expel The Dragon from her body. This made a lot of noise and brought Sam and Angelica out to investigate as well.

"Sorry to wake you, children," Lucifer told them. "Just getting a monster out of your mother. Go back to sleep!"

"Is Mom gonna be okay?" Angelica asked, wide eyed. "Is it the Dragon Lady? Was Sammy right?"

"Yes, but don't worry about it," Lucifer panted. After a flash of bright light and the sound of a scream meant that the Dragon was no longer possessing Ellie, Lucifer held her close.

"You're gonna be all right, darling," he whispered in her ear as she fainted and leaned heavily against him. "It's over now."

But it wasn't. Not by a long shot.

After being expelled, the very determined Dragon sent Lucifer flying and tried to get at Ellie again, but Maeve wasn't having it.

"You stay away from her!" Maeve said, battling her as Lexie had done, but with much more alertness and skill and Josh's able assistance. They soon outfought her, and for a moment, it seemed as if the battle had been won.

"You'll pay for this," the Dragon told them, eyes narrowed. "Dearly."

"Oh, yes?" Maeve asked while Josh just glared. "Do your worst."

The Dragon cast an eye on the twins and gave Maeve a look. "Your choice," she told her. "Ellie or your daughters."

"You save your daughters," Josh told Maeve. "I'll keep an eye on Ellie."

Maeve quickly turned to yell at Junior to get the girls away, giving the Dragon a good, hard push as Josh tried to hold her still. They fought and then, as the Dragon finally lay still, Maeve and Josh turned their back on her, claiming a mental victory. But then, to everyone's shock, Maeve let out a scream as the Dragon had the last laugh.

"Maeve!" Lucifer and Sean both yelled as the demon was engulfed in flames when they tried to reach her and help her save Ellie (who was naturally still the intended victim) after the twins were sent to safety.

They managed to get the fire out, but it was too late for Maeve; she'd been badly burned and just from looking at her, Sean could tell her wounds were fatal. "What did you do that for?" He asked. "You didn't have to. You're gonna die, you know."

Maeve groaned and then looked at Lucifer. "I swore to protect you," she groaned. "I swore I'd have your back. That includes saving your wife's life, doesn't it? Besides, she's grown on me." She chuckled weakly. "And to think that when I first saw her, I called her a whore. She's not a whore. Take care of her. And the girls for me." Maeve turned to Junior. "Take care of the girls for me, or I swear..."

"I will," Junior promised, squinting from the white light she was becoming bathed in. "I will."

"Thank you," Maeve got out as her eyes closed. "Thank you."

After she was still, Junior held onto Maeve's body and cried. "What do you think will happen to her now?" He asked Lucifer. "Will she just be gone?"

"I don't know," Lucifer shrugged, moving hair out of Maeve's eyes and giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. "I would hope not, but I really don't know."

While everyone's attention was taken up by a dying Maeve, Josh disappeared to parts unknown, and the Dragon realized that Lexie had been right; the only way she would get what she wanted was to have someone Lucifer _didn't_ care as much about be her vessel. She kept her eye on Sam. She should have just chosen him in the first place, instead of being cocky and overconfident.

She grinned and possessed him as he let out a cry of pain, putting a hand to his heart.

"Are you okay?" Angie asked. "Please don't tell me that the Dragon possessed you."

"Well, no, of course not," Sammy replied and put a hand around her waist. "Nothing to worry about. Let's leave all this and go up to bed, shall we?"


	23. Not A Moment's Peace

When Maeve opened her eyes, she was surprised to say the least. She remembered the fire. She remembered how much it hurt. She remembered Sean telling her that she would die from her wounds. So why...why was she alive? How?

She tried to sit up and heard a voice nearby.

"Be careful. You were badly hurt. Take it slow." The voice seemed familiar, or at least it should have. She sat up and blinked several times at the speaker.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I'm...I'm God," he told her. "Or Steve, if you want to be informal. It doesn't matter to me." His eyes were blue and bright and his voice was warm. He came toward her and offered his hand. "Welcome to Heaven."

"Wait, excuse me?" Maeve got out. "I'm a demon! How...?"

"Well, you died saving my daughter in law, didn't you?" He smiled. "Demon or not, here you are, with my thanks."

"I don't know if this is the place for me," she said. "Thanks, but..."

"Don't worry," He told her. "You won't be stuck in a place where you're unhappy. Once you reach your new home, it can be whatever you want."

Maeve bit her lip on a smile and shook her head as he helped her to her feet. "What I need to be happy, I don't think you can give it to me here. I didn't even get to say 'Goodbye to my girls. What's going to happen to them now?"

"They're gonna be all right," Steve assured her. "I saw your death coming of course and I made sure your daughters would be looked after."

"Oh, yes?" Maeve scoffed. "By whom?"

"Michael and Gabriel are on Guardian Angel duty," Steve informed her.

Maeve scoffed when she heard this. "Michael? Seriously? Nice to know you sent the cream of the crop to look after my kid. Who's he watching?"

"Emma," Steve told her.

"Oh, no!" Maeve shook her head. "Not Emma. I don't want her exposed to him!"

"I think you underestimate her," he said. "I think she can handle it. And she might just be a good influence on him, who knows?"

"You have to let me visit her somehow, just to be sure," Maeve told him. "I know I can't be brought back to life, but...can't I visit earth somehow?"

"Not permanently, but...I suppose if it would ease your mind, I could arrange a few visits," Steve assured her.

"Thank you," Maeve said. "Now, where are you sticking me?"

"Come right this way," Steve gestured for Maeve to go ahead of him. "Let me show you. I really think you'll like it."

"I hope so!" Maeve replied. She honestly had no idea what would be there, not really. She'd spent so much of her life being all about Lucifer's business that her own likes and dislikes were still a bit of a mystery to her.

So she was stunned when he led her into a house that was comfortable, with dark leather furniture, light blue walls, and large windows for her to look out of. Her bed was queen sized and covered with a quilt and warm blankets, and when she opened her closet, it was full of weapons, as well as a wide selection of shirts and pants as well as boots and sneakers.

"I like this," she said in surprise. "It's a good start, anyway."

"And you have a training room," Steve told her. "Punching bag and weights and everything."

"You don't miss a beat, do you?" She asked.

"Of course not," Steve said. "Anything else I can get you?"

"Nope, I'm good," She got out. "Thanks."

"No, Maeve," he told her and took her hand, giving it a brief squeeze. "Thank you so much. I mean it. And as for your trips back to earth, I'll begin arranging those right now and let you know when they'll be."

"Thanks," she told him, even managing to give him a small smile.

Then he left, she poured herself a drink, and took it out to sit on the deck, take a deep breath, and think of what she'd do now that all her time was her own and no one else's.

* * *

"So they're dead, Josh and Maeve?" Sarah asked after Junior told her all that happened, down on his knees in front of her as she sat on their bed at Lucifer's, his hands in hers. " _Both_ of them?" Her lip trembled. "And I didn't even get to apologize for all the trouble I caused. Oh, no!" She burst into tears and threw herself into Sean's arms. He'd tried to be as gentle as he could be when telling her what the Dragon had done, but it was hard to say something like that without causing any pain.

"It's okay," he tried to soothe her, his fingers in her hair and then moving to run down her back. "It'll be okay. I don't know that Josh is dead. He could just be gone. He might show up later."

"I hope so," Sarah sniffed. "Not that he'd accept my apology if I gave it to him, but I'd like to have the chance to try anyway. And Ellie? She's all right?"

"Yes," Junior nodded. "Thanks to Lucifer and Maeve and me, she's fine. She'll be all right."

"Good, because I can't stand the thought of losing a daughter," Sarah said. "I don't think I could handle it!"

"It wouldn't have been your fault!" Sean tried to soothe her. "None of this is. Not Josh, not Maeve, none of it! Please stop blaming yourself."

Sarah then looked up at him now, her dark eyes narrowed. She gave him a push and then stood up. "Stop telling me that," she said. "If you can just look at this and be okay with it all, that's your right, but don't you tell me that I shouldn't feel bad. Just don't. If we had just been able to keep our pants on and be true to our partners, no one would be dead and we'd all be happy. We ruined everything! And if we don't admit to that, we're bad people!"

She began to stride out, but Junior put a hand on her arm. "I don't think we'd be happy," he said firmly. "I don't think you would. You know you didn't love Josh the way you love me. How could you? How could staying in a life that's lacking passion make you happy?"

"Cause it was right," Sarah hissed. "It was the right thing to do and the right life to live. That's enough to make me happy. Now please, go away so I can be alone and think about this."

"All right," Junior sighed. "Fine. I hope you feel better soon."

"Once you're gone, I _know_ I will!" Sarah snapped, then waited for him to go out in the hallway before slamming the door in his face. Once it was closed, he heard her soft sobbing. He wanted to go in and comfort her, but he resisted and went to talk to Ellie about what to do instead.

* * *

"I wouldn't let it get you down," Ellie told him as they sat in the kitchen not long after and she poured him a cup of water for tea. "She's just upset right now and needs someone to blame. Don't take it personally."

"I try not to, I do," Junior said. "But I just...you know how hard it is for me to see your mother in pain if I can prevent it. That's what I do as a doctor. I fix people. I don't just let them hurt."

"Well, I think the best thing you can do now is to just let her feel what she's feeling, even if it's hard for you to watch," Ellie told him and gave him a hug and a kiss on the top of his head. "I'm sure that she'll realize the truth eventually. It'll be okay. But if you think it might help, I could ask Amy to talk to her. Or Dexter. They're both very good at that sort of thing."

"Oh, yes, please do that," Junior nodded and reached across the table for a tea bag of Earl Gray. "That would ease my mind a lot."

"No problem," Ellie grinned. "You enjoy your tea. I'll take care of it."

"I will," Junior told her. "Where's the sugar?"

Ellie pointed to three red canisters on the table next to the refrigerator. "The sugar's in the middle one," she said. "And there's a cup in it to measure if you'd like."

"Thanks," He grinned at her. "And...I'm glad you're all right. Thanks for the help with your mother."

"You're welcome," Ellie told him. "And it's the least I could do after what you did to save me."

"You don't owe me anything for that," Junior blushed. "You're my daughter."

"And you're my father," Ellie grinned and ran to give him one more long, tight hug. Then she whispered, "Thank you," and went to check on her mother.

* * *

Lee had been out the night his mother had returned, but when he heard about it after, he was determined to try and understand what her game was.

"She showed up, she tried to kill Ellie, she failed, she's gone," Lisa shrugged. "I don't know what you're so worried about."

"I'm not worried!" Lee snapped. "And you don't understand my mother. If she fails in her goal the first time, she'll stick around until she accomplishes it, which means she's probably still around here somewhere. I just don't know where."

"Well," Lisa hesitantly reached out and touched Lee's arm. "Could you...could you use some help?"

"No, thanks," Lee shook his head. "I don't want you exposed to my mother."

"Why not?" Asked Sam as he came through the open door and approached them. "Who is this girl and why don't you want to introduce her to your mother?"

Lisa instinctively moved closer to Lee, the grin on Sam's face making her nervous. "How much have you had to drink, Sam?" She asked.

"Sam hasn't had anything to drink," he said. "In fact, he's not even here anymore. Not while I'm borrowing his body."

"Mother, what have you done?" Lee asked, eyes narrowed as he moved protectively in front of Lisa. "What are you up to?"

"No need for you to worry about that, son," Sam replied in a high voice. No longer needing to hide her identity, the Dragon was being more brazen. "Just let me do what I need to do. Now, the girl; who is she?"

"Should I tell her?" Lisa whispered.

"Go ahead," Lee said, but stayed in front of her. "You'll live longer that way."

"O-okay," Lisa replied and then swallowed before giving a quick curtsy. "I'm Lisa," she said. "Lee and I...hang out sometimes."

A grin curved Sam's lips. "I don't think I need to ask what you do together," he said in that horrible high voice. "You're pretty enough that that's obvious." She came forward and grabbed Lisa's face in her hand, causing Lee to tense. "And you're powerful too, aren't you?"

Then, he looked at Lee. "Don't worry, I won't kill her. Not yet. It would be a shame to let all that power go to waste." Lisa was then released and then pushed back into Lee's arms, her eyes wide as she took several deep breaths.

"Are you done?" Lee questioned. "If you are, I'd like you to leave now. You've caused enough damage for one night."

"Don't worry about that," the Dragon grinned. "I have better things to do than hang around here. My host has the affection of Lucifer's daughter and I can't keep her waiting long if I want to keep my cover from being blown. Good night, son. Lisa."

"Goodnight!" Lee snapped, still holding onto Lisa as he used his magic to slam the door behind his mother's retreating back. Then he looked Lisa in the eye. "Are you all right?" He asked urgently. "I have to commend you for making it through a meeting with my mother alive."

"Thank you," Lisa said and then collapsed onto his bed. "I'm glad of that too. Do you mind if I stay here? I don't want to wander any more tonight with _her_ out there."

"You can stay," Lee nodded and stripped down to his boxers. "I would prefer it." He paused. "But I hope you're not doing this just to pity me. I don't want pity and if that's why you're here than you can just leave."

"Oh, I would _never_ pity you!" Lisa told him and undressed. "I want to be with you because I'm defenseless against your scary mother and you're a big strong man who can protect me. Am I wrong?"

"No," Lee blushed a little as she got in bed again and snuggled against him before giving him a kiss. "You're right about that."

They tried to relax and just go to sleep, but then Lee felt Lisa run her hand over his abs, which sent tingles through his body and then when her hand slid under his boxers, he grabbed her and kissed her soundly, his fingers threading through her hair.

Moaning as she tried to capture his lips in hers, Lisa zapped off his boxers and began squeezing him gently until he climaxed and then she found herself underneath him on the mattress as he looked down at her, his eyes jet black and his breathing heavy.

She hissed at him, her eyes veiny, just to see what he would do. He showed his demon face before kissing her, biting her lip, and then burying himself inside her then they heard a knock on the door, and they both froze.

Then Lee rolled off her and prepared to confront his mother again, but both he and Lisa were relieved, if a little irritated, that it was Lucifer, clad in his red dressing gown, who let himself in.

"Good evening," he greeted them with a smile, and then grinned wider. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, because I clearly am." He came around the bed and winked at Lisa. "Thanks for keeping my son company so he's not lonely."

"I actually am here so his mother won't come after me," Lisa said. "He's letting me stay here for my own sake."

"Oh, of course," Lucifer nodded. "You call it whatever you want. I won't tell a soul." He gave another wink. "Goodnight, children. Have a pleasant evening."

"We will when you're gone," Lee told him. "Good night." Then he shook his head once Lucifer had disappeared. "Sorry about that. No privacy at all."

"It's no problem," Lisa shrugged and pulled the covers over herself. "I'm used to it."


	24. Too Many Feelings

As their mother adjusted to Heaven, Emma and Lexie were struggling with her death back home.

"I still cannot believe Mom's dead!" Lexie cried, her brown eyes big and wet as she hugged Emma hard, her head buried in her sister's shoulder. "How could this have happened? It _shouldn't_ have happened!"

"No, it shouldn't," Emma tried to soothe her sister. "But you know Mom wouldn't have done it if she didn't have a good reason." As she continued to try and comfort her shaking sister, Michael and Gabriel appeared.

"We're sorry about your mother," Michael told Emma. "But she is in Heaven now because she tried to save Ellie." He said this hopefully, and Lexie finally pulled away from her sister and asked to speak to Gabriel in her own room.

"Mom's in Heaven? Well, that's unexpected." She paused. "Do you think...do you think we'll get to see her again someday?"

"If you behave yourself, you should," Gabriel replied and put his arms around her. He was very surprised that she let him do it, but then again, when people were grieving, they were more open to shows of affection. Lexie seemed to be like that.

* * *

Meanwhile, Emma and Michael were talking about Maeve as well.

"So Mom got into Heaven cause she was good?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, and if you're good too, you'll go there too," Michael grinned. "You think you can do it?"

"I'm not worried about that," Emma said, a smug grin on her lips as she sauntered toward him. "I bet _you_ don't behave at all and they still let you into Heaven, right?"

"I'm the exception cause my dad is God, you know," Michael grinned, reaching out to hug her. "This is a very soft night gown, isn't it?" He asked. "You know what feels good when you're grieving? Silk sheets on bare skin. Want me to show you?"

Emma winced and gently pushed him away. "No, thanks," she said. "Please step away from me. I don't know what I was thinking, wearing this in front of you."

"Why don't we talk?" he told her. "Come to bed with me." He began removing his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Emma cried. "Keep your shirt on!"

"Will you relax?" Michael told her. "I'm not trying to get you hot. I just think earth clothes are itchy and I don't like wearing them if I don't have to. I promise I can keep my hands to myself."

Emma didn't quite believe this and decided to put on a robe before making her way to the bed and climbing in. She waited for him to try and kiss her or hit on her or something, but he didn't. He just watched as she lay beside him and pulled the covers over herself.

Then he reached out, took her hand, kissed it, and then put his arms around her, holding her close. "I'm not real good at this emotional stuff," he said in a low voice. "But it's gonna be okay. I know it's kind of a dumb thing to say now since you're probably really hurting, but...I think it'll be all right with time."

Emma gave him a small smile. "You really think so?" She asked.

"Yes," Michael nodded. "It has to be, right?"

"Yeah," Emma shrugged. "I guess so." She lay down on her side and he did the same as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Sorry I can't be more helpful," Michael told her and pushed a blonde curl out of her eyes. "Gabriel is much better with this emotional stuff than I am."

"And that's good," Emma said. "But I think I'm okay. Lexie needs someone who can get her in touch with her emotions. Otherwise, I'm afraid she's gonna bottle it all up and start drinking and doing drugs and stuff. Anything so that she doesn't have to feel. Gabriel's got his work cut out for him."

They sat in awkward silence and then Emma peeked at him and said, "Can I kiss you?"

"No!" Michael sucked in his breath, shook his head, and even backed away as far as he could without falling off the bed. "Why would you want to kiss me? You shouldn't want to be involved with someone like me. I'm not good like Gabriel, I'm bad, don't you get that? I've broken lots of hearts. Aren't you afraid that that will happen to you?"

"Would you lighten up?" Emma scoffed, her mood suddenly changing. "I was just asking. And who said one kiss is gonna lead to a relationship? I'm not an idiot. I know not to get involved with someone like you long-term. Stop making this all about you and your stupid insecurities."

"I'm not insecure!" Michael cried. "I just don't like being with children, that's all. And that's what you are! A child!"

She then leaned forward and kissed him anyway, a brief peck on the lips, nothing that lingered. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" She snapped.

Though the kiss hadn't been long, it had still made Michael feel things that he'd only wanted to inspire in others just so they could tell him how great he was. But he couldn't let her see. So as she watched for his reaction, he tried to keep a straight face, hugging her again, her head buried in his shoulder so she couldn't look him in the eye. But he didn't go further than that. Which was really strange for him because any other time he was with a woman, he would have been on her before the sheets were even over them.

But he couldn't do that with Emma. Not yet, if he was going to do it at all. It seemed wrong to treat her like all the other women. She deserved better than that.

They just held each other and it took all he had in him not to take her when she leaned forward and kissed him deeply. He didn't know what he would have done if a knock on the door hadn't interrupted them.

"Emma?" Are you okay?" Lexie called.

"Michael, what are you doing?" Gabriel added.

"We're fine," Emma called as they sprang apart and hopped out of bed. "Just a minute! Don't come in! We'll open the door!"

"For heaven's sake, Michael!" Gabriel called, sounding very disappointed. "Have a little self control! This is a terrible time to take advantage!"

"You better not have touched my sister or I'm gonna rearrange your face!" Lexie added and then burst into the room just as Emma finished straightening her night gown.

"There's no need for that!" Emma explained and gave her sister a grin. "See? I'm fine."

Lexie gave her sister a suspicious look. "Really? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"I promise nothing happened that I didn't want to happen," Emma swore. "Stand down, Lexie. Please."

"Okay," Lexie's eyes narrowed on Michael. "But still...watch your back."

She stormed out of the room while Gabriel muttered an apology and turned to leave, but Michael put a hand on his arm. "Well she's just a ray of sunshine, isn't she?"

"It's the grief," Gabriel sighed. "And somehow, I feel it's only the beginning."

"Good luck, brother," Michael said.

"Thanks," Gabriel replied. "Dad help me, I think I'm going to need it."

* * *

After the Dragon had revealed herself to her son, she decided to leave Sammy after making sure that he would still have darkness inside him. After she exited his body and unlocked all the doors, he rolled over, sat up, and shook Angelica roughly awake.

"Hey," he whispered. "I'm horny, come here."

"No," Angelica huffed. "We don't do middle of the night sex unless it's the weekend, you know that! I've got a busy work day ahead of me tomorrow. Two benefits and a wedding!"

"Oh, come _on_!" Sammy whined. "You're always working! Why don't you pay attention to _me_?!"

"You _never_ talk like this," Angelica remarked, getting out of bed, turning on the light, and studying him. "Maybe it's just a bit of stir-craziness. You haven't been out of the house in a while."

"Are you saying we should go outside? I like it!" Sammy nodded, then picked her up and carried her out of the room over his shoulder, taking her outside, stripping down, biting his wrist, and then holding it up as the blood dripped. "Want some?" He asked, his eyes seeming to glow.

"No, I..." Angelica shook her head, trying to keep her eyes off the trickle of ruby red. "I don't drink from a body. I think it's wrong."

"Oh, come on," Sammy said. "It's not wrong if I'm offering it to you!" He grinned and offered his wrist. "Go on and take some. Please?"

"Well, all right," Angelica sighed. "I'll just have a little, if it'll get you off my back."

"Don't sound so excited," Sammy replied dryly as Angelica grabbed his wrist and drank a little blood before pushing the wrist away.

"Okay, I had some," she said. "Happy?"

"No, I don't think you even tried that hard," Sammy replied. "You're holding back. Have more."

"No!" Angie shook her head. "Sammy, you're weird. I don't think I should be encouraging this sort of behavior. You're in shock. It'll be okay. How can I help you get better?"

"I'm fine," Sammy told her. "I'm a vampire for crying out loud, and so are you! You're dark, remember? Why can't you act like it? Even your saint of a mother hunts once in a while. You can't do it, can you? You're too much of a chicken!"

"Oh, I can so!" Angelica cried, her eyes flashing red as she gave him a push. "Who are you to tell me I can't do something? I can hunt and I can hunt damn well! You watch me!" She grabbed his wrist and bit down, then, with his blood on her lips, she strode off into the woods, leaving a grinning Sammy staring after her for a few seconds before he followed her, watching in amusement as she tried to hunt. There were no people in the woods at that time of night so she had to settle for whatever animals came along.

She lost a grip on several rabbits and finally, covered in dirt, leaves, and bruises, let out a cry frustration and ran down a deer, knocking it down and sinking her fangs into its neck as it struggled wildly in her grip, the leaves rustling loudly until finally, one last bite made it still.

"Having fun?" Sammy grinned as a dirty and blood stained Angelica stood up from the body. Her hair was wild and she looked like a nightmare. But to Sammy, she was beautiful.

"I like it," he said. "I like you good and dirty." He pulled her to him and kissed her soundly as his hands cupped her bottom. "You still hot?" He panted and then pushed her up against a tree, his hands sneaking under her skirt. "Wanna do it up against this tree?"

"Are you crazy?" Angelica scoffed. "I'm not doing it against a tree!"

"Oh, that's right, her highness doesn't do it unless she's under silk sheets!" Sammy sighed and zapped up a silk sheet on the forest ground.

"Don't do that, you'll stain it!" Angelica cried, feeling horrified. "No!" She got down on her knees and was soon on her back as Sammy leaned over her and kissed her soundly before he undid his pants and slipped off Angelica's panties. She was panting heavily now, and as he undressed, Angelica began to care less and less where they were. She wanted to do it with him. Even on the ground, in the woods, on a dirty silk sheet.

Then he bit her neck and drank greedily as she shrieked. "Sammy, what are you doing?" She cried. "I thought you were just stir crazy or troubled, but...something is going on, isn't it? Something really bad. Talk to me."

"Nothing is going on!" He told her, smearing some of her own blood on another part of her neck and then licking it off. "Don't worry, I'll be fair. You can bite me too."

"Okay, but warn me next time would you?" Angelica requested, still feeling a bit suspicious. "We don't usually do this, you know."

"Yeah, but I think we should start making a habit of it," Sammy told her before pushing into her. "It could be fun. Don't you agree?"

* * *

"I haven't heard you talk about Josh since he disappeared," Lucifer told Ellie. "I know this whole thing with your parents has made things with Josh kind of weird, but...you miss him, right?"

"Yes," Ellie nodded and grabbed her coat. "I just...when Junior was here, he needed me more. I couldn't _let_ myself think about Josh. But now I can. I'm gonna go talk to Hannah. Maybe we can grieve together."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lucifer remarked, his voice doubtful.

"Well, no, but...if I don't go, she'll probably be pissed at me about _that_ ," Ellie sighed. "I can't win. So I'll just go and let the chips fall where they may." She started to leave after he helped her on with her coat, and then he took her hand. "You want me to come with you in case something goes wrong?"

Ellie grinned and put a hand on either side of his face, kissing him deeply. "I think I can handle it, but if it goes badly, you'll be here to help me pick up the pieces, right?"

"Always," Lucifer nodded. "I promise." He took her hand, gave her a kiss, and then gave her bottom a push. "Go on," he said. "Before you lose your nerve."

"Thanks," Ellie nodded. "I think that's best. "If I don't come back in an hour, send a search party!"

"I will," Lucifer called after her. "Good luck. Don't worry!"

* * *

As she drove up the driveway of Josh's house and parked the car, Ellie took a deep breath before getting out and striding up to the front door, knocking furiously for what seemed like hours until finally, Christopher answered.

"You wanna come in?" He asked her. "Sorry for the wait, but Hannah saw you and she didn't want me to let you in."

"That doesn't surprise me," Ellie sighed as she got inside the house. "Thank you, Christopher. I came to talk to her about Dad. About Josh."

"Don't you call my father 'Dad'," Hannah snapped, appearing as if out of nowhere. "He's _not_ your dad! _Your_ dad is the guy my father got cheated on with!"

"Josh was my dad too!" Ellie snapped. "He was my dad before he was _ever_ your dad, and don't you forget that!" She got in her sister's face and said, "I came over here to help you with your grieving process. I thought that because we both lost someone, spending time together would do us some good, but if you're gonna be a bitch about it, I'm just gonna leave!"

"Fine, do that!" Hannah shouted. "Go back with your father and your mother and you just...you..." Her voice shook and she finally broke down. Ellie turned and reached out for her sister.

"Don't you touch me!" Hannah snapped, bearing her teeth and wiping tears off her cheeks. "Leave me alone and go away!"

Ellie sighed, grabbed her struggling sister in a tight hug as Christopher encouraged her behind Hannah's back. "It's gonna be okay," she said. "I know you're upset now, but we're gonna get through this!"

"Go away!" Hannah screeched, pushing her sister away and gave her a good, hard slap. "How many times do I have to say it? I don't want your hugs, I don't want your assurance, I don't want your help. Now get the hell away from me!" Her eyes flashed, she snapped her teeth, and before Christopher had a chance to stop it, she grabbed her sister and sank her fangs into her sister's neck.

Ellie thought about fighting this, but much as their mother had before her, she decided not to because she knew that Hannah's anger was somewhat her own fault and maybe, just maybe, taking out her anger on her like this would make Hannah feel better. Would make things just like they used to be.

But she'd barely had time to lap any blood up before Christopher's senses came back to him and he pulled Hannah away. "I think you better go now," he told Ellie as an angry Hannah fought him. "I think it would be best."

"I think so too," Ellie agreed. "But I tried to make things better," she sniffled. "I tried. I really did."

"I know," Christopher said sympathetically. "I know."

"I just keep ruining everyone's lives," Ellie was trying not to cry. "First Hannah's and then my other sisters because their mother died saving me. She shouldn't have done that. I don't know what she was thinking."

She told Christopher goodbye and then left the house and when the door was closed behind her, she burst into tears, sobbing on the front step for a while before she finally called Lucifer and asked him to get someone to bring a car and get her.

"I thought you would ask me that," Lucifer replied. "I'm already on my way."

Ellie barely had time to reply before the car drive up and hadn't even fully stopped before Lucifer opened the door, ran to her, and grabbed her.

"What happened?" he asked. "Are you okay? Were you hurt?"

"Yeah, she bit me," Ellie nodded and rubbed her neck. "The wound's gone now, but it's still a bit tender."

"You let her _bite_ you?" Lucifer cried, preparing to storm into the house and kill Hannah. "Why didn't you fight back?"

Ellie sighed and shook her head. "I thought...I thought that if she got to bite me, she wouldn't be mad about Mom being with Junior anymore. I thought it would help."

Lucifer just sighed and looked at her with pity. "Oh, my dear," he said, picking her up and taking her to the car, his dark eyes gazing into hers. "Don't do that. Don't say that. Please."

"Why shouldn't I say it if it's true?" Ellie asked. "And I don't understand why you don't hate me either! I made you lose your friend!"

"Maeve made her own choice," Lucifer said firmly. "You didn't _make_ her do anything. Don't you take this on your own shoulders." He kissed her soundly, but it didn't have the desired effect. "How can I help?" He asked. "Please tell me. I want to make you better."

"I don't think you can," Ellie shook her head. "I think I need to figure this out for myself. But thanks...thanks for trying."

* * *

When they got home, Ellie retreated to her room. Lucifer then made several trips out, bringing her flowers, chocolates, and even a puppy. But nothing worked. She was still sad.

So he reluctantly gave up and watched TV, encouraged when Ellie finally left her room. "I'm gonna go do some work," she said. "It might be good for me."

She didn't say more than that, though. The door slammed behind her and not long after, Lucifer got a call from Hell.

"Miss Ellie is here," he said. "We need your help. She's become one of the Slothful, sunk into the Lake of Sorrow, and no matter what we say, she won't come out."

"Wait for me," Lucifer ordered. "Watch her, but don't do anything else til I get there."

"All right, but hurry," the voice on the other end said. "I think that even you will have trouble convincing her if she stays down here too long."

So that's what he did, even warning Dexter and everyone else in the house. And when he got to Hell, she was, as had been reported, languishing in the Lake of Sorrows, her body just submerged under the water, except for her mouth.

"Leave me here," she got out when he actually deigned to get in the cold and mucky water and ask what the world she was doing there. "I need to be alone with my thoughts."

"Remember what I told you," he said, trying to be patient. "Maeve and your parents made their choices. Nothing that is going on now, none of the pain Hannah or Emma or Lexie is feeling now is your responsibility. Please try and remember that. What good is this doing you? Does it make you feel better at all? Please come home with me and we can find another way to deal with this."

He then looked at one of the souls beside her. "Little help, please?" He demanded.

"You shouldn't be here," the soul told Ellie. "This is just wrong. Go home."

"Thank you!" Lucifer told him.

"I can be here if I want to," Ellie argued. "This is where depressed people go, and I am depressed."

"Yes, but it's not a spa you can just leave when you want to," Lucifer told her. "If that's what you want, come with me. It'll be much better for you."

"I would, except that would mean you'd have to help me with my emotions and that's not comfortable for you," Ellie reasoned.

"Fine, you want me to deal with this in a way that's more comfortable for me?" Lucifer demanded, finally allowing himself to become angry and even show her his Devil face. "You're being slothful and I am going to punish you! What do you think about that?"

"Fine, go ahead!" Ellie shouted, finally sitting up. "Whatever you do might help me forget what I'm feeling and that would be nice!"

"Good!" Lucifer cried, his face returning to human as he hauled her up out of the water, put her over his shoulder, and tried not to think about how all the water would ruin his suit. "Let's get this started then!"

* * *

When they got home, everyone was relieved to see Ellie, but Lucifer didn't let them coo over her for long. He stuck her in the shower and soaked her with the spray head, and then, as she sputtered and screamed, he turned it off, dried her off with a towel, then cuffed her to the bed and whipped her soundly, her cries of pain mingling with her laughter and begging him to do more...more!

Finally though, he realized she'd had enough. She was worn out and her body was covered in lash marks and even though they didn't stay long, it was long enough that he realized just how long he'd let the punishment go on.

She was trying not to cry. He saw it in her eyes. "Are you okay?" He asked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose control like that."

"No, it's okay," she got out. "It was good. One kind of pain exchanged for another. I actually don't feel it anymore. The dark thoughts I mean. Thanks for that."

She then shut her eyes and he tucked her in, then he went into the bathroom to get a grip on himself before turning off the lights and joining her under the covers.

* * *

When Ellie's eyes opened the next morning, the first thing she was aware of was the feeling of something cold and soft, and hands all over her body.

"Good morning," Lucifer whispered and then nibbled on her ear. "How are you feeling? Better?"

"Yeah," Ellie nodded. "What are you doing?"

"I thought you could use some lotion after last night so I grabbed some and I'm putting it on you," he said. "Don't move."

"Okay," Ellie relaxed and grinned. "I won't. Please continue."

When he finally announced that he'd covered her entire body, she rolled over and smiled at him. "I _am_ better now," she assured him. "I know I gave you all a fright last night and I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be sorry for feeling things, I suppose," Lucifer told her. "But...look, I know emotions aren't my best thing, but that doesn't mean you have to handle yours alone. We can work together."

"True," Ellie nodded. "No matter how bad you are with feelings, you always seem to gauge mine pretty well. And I...thank you. Thank you for taking such good care of me." She put her arms around him and whispered in his ear. "I love you, Lucifer Morningstar."

"I love you too, Eleanor," he said and hugged her tight. "And I'm so glad you're better."

Ellie pulled away and sighed. "I don't know if I'm better yet," she admitted. "But I'm less bad than I was, which is an improvement." She paused. "What time is it? Do you think they've set breakfast out yet?"

Lucifer looked at the clock. "I think so. Would you like to put your robe on and go have some?"

"Yes," Ellie nodded and hopped out of bed. "Trips to Hell always wreak havoc on the appetite, you know."

"Yes," Lucifer nodded in a agreement as he watched her put panties and robe on. "They certainly do."


	25. A Whole New Family

In the days following her time among the Slothful, Ellie _did_ feel better. She would probably never be as deep in the dark place as she had been, but as she'd confessed to Lucifer, she was not entirely okay. But she knew something might make it better: a chat with her father-in-law. But first she had to find out where he lived.

So she went to see Angelica, who was the only one that might know.

"Where's your grandfather live?" She asked as she and her daughter talked over lunch. "I need to have a chat with him."

"I'd be careful letting Grandpa in too much if I were you," Angelica replied and then ate a spoonful of soup. "Sometimes he's helpful, sometimes, he's not."

"Oh, you're starting to sound just like your father," Ellie frowned. "It can't be that bad!"

"It can," Angelica nodded. "Now I know why Dad rebelled. Being on Grandpa's favorite list is _exhausting_!"

"Well, I'm going to talk to him anyway," Ellie said. "So where does he live?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Angelica sighed and then scribbled down the address of Steve's house on a piece of paper. "Good luck!"

* * *

Ellie decided to go right after she and Angelica finished eating. She followed the directions her daughter had given her and found herself in front of a quaint little Tudor-style house made of red brick. She parked in the driveway and made her way up to the door, taking a deep breath before ringing the bell, then stepped back and waited.

Her ring was met by the barking of a dog and the sound of a voice saying, "No, it's all right, Pepper. It's just Eleanor come to visit."

Steve opened the door with one hand and kept a grip on the little Jack Russell's collar with the other, looking up and grinning at Ellie. "Hello, Eleanor," he said. "Please come in. I've been expecting you."

"Thank you," Ellie said. "I thought you were."

She made her way into the house and once she was settled on the sofa, said, "Where would you like me to start?"

"You can start anywhere you want," he said. "But I hope...I hope my son didn't hurt you too badly the other night. Sometimes that temper of his gets away from him."

"It hurt, but it was a good thing," Ellie shrugged. "It made me forget...other things." She sighed. "I'm sorry I was with the Slothful. I know that's bad cause it means I gave up on you, but I haven't. Not entirely. It's just...with all that's been going on with my parents and Josh and how badly all my sisters have been affected, I feel bad for coming out of it with parents who are gonna be married and happy when Hannah lost her father and Lexie and Emma lost their mother. And what _about_ that? Why would Maeve give up her life for me? She probably did it more for Lucifer's sake than mine, but still...I didn't know we were even that good of friends, Maeve and I!"

"Maeve was never very open with her feelings, but do you...do you remember when she was expecting the twins?" Steve asked. "Who did she first tell about it? Who told her that everything would be okay because she was terrified that she would end up abandoned with children to care for alone just like your mother? Who said that she would work things out with Sean so that he would be ready to accept the news when Maeve told him in an enthusiastic manner?"

"That was _me_!" Ellie said. " _I_ did that!"

"Yes, and it meant more to her than you'll know," Steve told her. "She might have done what she did to help Samael, but she also did it, I think, to pay you back for that favor you did her. For making having her daughters seem like not such a scary thing. And yes, the girls will have a difficult road ahead of them. There will be good times and very bad times. But just because Maeve is gone, that doesn't mean they'll be alone. They have people in their corner."

"Good," Ellie nodded. "Good. And Hannah?"

"It'll all work out in the end for her too," Steve said, although he had a troubled look on his face that made Ellie very curious. She didn't press him though. She didn't think it would be a good idea.

"Well, thank you," she said. "I _do_ feel much better now and I promise...I'll promise to remember that nothing bad that happened is my fault. It's what your son's been saying too."

"Good," Steve nodded. "Good. Any other worries or troubles you need to get off your chest?"

"No," Ellie shook her head. "No, I think I'm good for now. How are you doing?"

"I'm managing," Steve replied. "This visit from you is a high point of the day, thanks so much for that." He smiled.

"You're welcome," Ellie smiled back. Then she said, "Can I...can I hug you?"

"Of course," Steve replied and then gave her a big hug. They stayed and chatted a bit longer, and then, as Ellie was leaving, Steve called after her, "I hope you enjoy time with your new siblings! They're coming soon, you know!"

* * *

A few days later, Sarah was perusing the list of announcements on the website of the hospital where Sean worked so she could know a bit of what was going on in his life. Then her eye caught the fact that a doctor named Sean was moving on to a new job at a hospital in another city. The fact that this man had a completely different last name than _her_ Sean was lost on Sarah. The thought of him leaving her again was just too much. Old emotions welled up, and she did what she should have done when she was pregnant with Ellie: Run after him and demand he stay. She got her coat on and marched to her car. Even though driving was difficult with the size of her belly, she drove at breakneck speed, cursing under her breath and hoping she could find him and give him a piece of her mind before he left.

She pulled into the parking lot and zapped herself inside, bringing her hands down on the info desk. "Where's Sean Mikaelson?" She cried, shocking the wide eyed info lady. "I need to know why he thinks he can just get a new job at another hospital and not tell me!"

The woman babbled and then Sarah just growled and snatched the speaker phone up. "Doctor Mikaelson to the info desk please!" She cried. "Doctor Mikaelson to the info desk. Code Blue!"

Sean appeared a few minutes later. His mouth opened and Sarah grabbed him, kissed him, and slapped him before kissing him again. "You're not leaving me," she said. "I won't let you. No new job unless you tell me!"

"I'm _not_ getting a new job!" Sean assured her and held her tight before whispering in her ear and nibbling on the lobe as she began to cry. "And no shouting 'code blue' when it's not actually a code blue, you crazy person."

Sarah then laughed and smiled through her tears as he wiped them away with his thumb and grinned. "So you're _not_ leaving?" She asked hopefully.

"No, that's a different Sean," He shook his head and hugged her as close as he could. "I won't leave you again, I swear. I couldn't do it. I _couldn't_!"

"You _better not_!" Sarah whispered. She couldn't stress it enough. She wouldn't be abandoned again. Then he began kissing her, pulling her as close as he could as his hands roamed around her body. They paused when they remembered that the info desk lady was watching them and stepped away before kissing again.

"Is this appropriate to do at work?" Sarah panted, her cheeks getting hot. "Maybe we should stop!"

"It's my break time," Sean replied. "And I know exactly where we can go for a bit of privacy. Stopping is not an option now." He zapped them to a small room with a bed in it.

"What's this place?" Sarah asked as Sean kissed her neck and hiked up her skirt to get at her panties.

"It's where we catch a few hours of sleep," he told her, pausing briefly before going back to nibble on her earlobe. "Each doctor has their own little room so no one will come in here."

"Good," Sarah replied. They quickly undressed and were under the covers and after finding a comfortable position (which took some work due to Sarah's increasing size), began going at it, Sean pushing into her repeatedly and with some force.

It was just as she climaxed though, and Sean pulled out of her to give her breasts some attention that she felt her water break and the searing pain of contractions. "The baby is coming!" She cried. "Oh, shit ow! We have to stop!"

" _Now_?" Sean yelled. "The baby is coming _now_?" They were just a smidge too early. Maybe he shouldn't have thrust so hard. He hopped off the bed, helped her dress and then put his own clothes on. "Hang on, we'll get you to a delivery room. It will be okay."

"It hurts!" She cried, bending over and clutching her gut. "Oh, damn, it hurts!"

And as they made their way to the door, Sarah suddenly threw up blood all over the floor of the room and complained of feeling dizzy and sick.

"That's not good," Sean told her. "That's _not_ good!" He then found the nearest phone and called for a gurney and trip to the operating room. If she was coughing up blood, something was wrong. They needed to get the baby out a lot faster than natural labor would allow.

* * *

It didn't take long to get Sarah into the operating room and put the spells on her that would allow them to do the surgery without her vampire healing getting in the way. Sean held her hand as they cut her open and pulled out a five pound, eleven ounce baby boy. Despite being born a bit early, he seemed to be in good health and Sean was ecstatic to have his first boy.

But then, just as they were about to sew Sarah up, his vampire senses caught something that made him order a pause: movement and a soft squeak. "I think...I think there's another one in there!" He said. "Don't sew her up!"

"Where?" The surgeon asked. "Where's the other baby? Are you sure there even _is_ one?"

"Yes," Junior nodded. "I'll get it out. Just trust me."

It took some time to locate what he knew he saw, but eventually, Sean pulled a much tinier little girl out of Sarah.

"See?" He told the surgeons as she cried. "Told you there was another baby in there! We'll need to get them both to intensive care and on oxygen!"

When that was done, a woozy Sarah asked, "What the hell just happened?"

"We have babies now!" Sean told her with a smile. "That's why you were so much bigger than you thought! There was more than one baby in you!"

"Twins again?" Sarah asked with a grin. "You are a fertile man, you know that?"

"Well, it's not just me," Junior returned and kissed her hair. "You're pretty fertile yourself!"

* * *

It was when Sarah was in recovery and Sean was peering at his new babies that he finally remembered he had another baby he needed to call.

"Ellie, I just thought you should know your mom went into labor today," he said when she answered. "You have a new brother and sister."

"What?" Ellie cried. "Since when was mom expecting _twins_? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Cause we didn't know until they cut her open!" Junior cried. "Apparently, your little sister was a very good hider."

"I guess!" Ellie remarked. "Are they okay? Is _Mom_ okay? Should I come down there?"

"If it works out for you, I think it would be good," Junior replied. "Please do."

* * *

After she visited her mother, Ellie joined her father in the intensive care ward for the tiny babies.

"She's so _small,_ " she said of her little sister.

"Yeah, apparently in the fight for resources in your mother's uterus, your brother was a greedy boy and took everything, which is why he's so much bigger," Junior replied. "She's only three pounds."

"Is she gonna be okay though?" Ellie asked and ran a finger over the baby girl's tiny hand and tried not to sob. So many tubes and wires connected to such a tiny girl. It was a bit frightening.

"It's not as bad as it looks," Junior assured her. "She won't die, but it'll take time for her to gain the weight and get all the nutrition she was lacking. Luckily, she's been very receptive to it all now that she has no competition cause they aren't always."

"That's good," Ellie nodded and tried to hide a sniffle as Junior put his arms around her. "I'm glad she's gonna be okay. What's her name?"

"Juliette," Junior said. "And your brother is Elliot. That's the name your mother wanted. I know it's frowned upon to give your twins similar names, but...I like it."

"Yeah," Ellie said. "Me too. You know, I probably should have warned you about this. I was visiting my father in law the other day and as I left his house, he yelled after me that my new siblings were coming. But I only half heard him and thought he was just making it up."

"I'm glad you didn't," Junior told her. "It was a nice surprise. And we won't forget about you, I promise. You don't have to worry."

Ellie smiled at him. "It's not a problem," she said as Sarah shuffled in and put her arms around them both. "I have a whole family now, so why would I worry?"

* * *

Though Ellie was quick to accept her father's assurance that Juliette would be okay, Sarah was not.

Although she was supposed to be resting (with Junior electing to stay the night with her at the hospital to make sure she would do it), Sarah still took to spending the night in the neonatal ward staring at her tiny daughter instead. It was better than just thrashing around and tossing and turning.

"You have to go to bed," Sean said when he found her. It was the third night of this and it had to stop. "Why do you keep worrying after I told you she would be fine?"

"Do you _really_ know that?" Sarah asked, her eyes boring into his. "Or are you just trying to make me feel better? Put a band-aid on an emotionally fraught situation?"

"No, she will be fine, I promise," Junior told her. "You can ask the doctors tomorrow, but now you have to come with me and get some sleep!"

"Did _I_ do this?" Sarah asked, resisting strenuously as Junior tried to pull her away from Juliette's incubator. "Did I not take good enough care of myself and that's why she's so small?"

"You took _very_ good care of yourself," Junior said. "It was just one of those freak things that happen. She's gonna be all right. She just needs time, that's all."

Finally, he managed to coax Sarah back to her room and to their surprise, Matthew was already waiting there.

"I know it's after hours," he said, standing up. "I know I'm breaking some rules, Sean, but I thought you might need help." He tilted his head in Sarah's direction. She can be very attached to her children sometimes to the point where she forgets all about herself. We went through this with Miss Ellie too, didn't we, Sarah?"

"Well, can you blame me?" Sarah asked as both Sean and her father tucked her in and kept their eyes on her. "She was my first little baby."

 _"I thought you already left for work," Matthew remarked as he stood in the doorway to baby Ellie's bedroom. Sarah was playing with her and making her giggle. They had been worried after she'd been brought from the orphanage where she'd been put for the first six months of her life after Sarah's sudden labor and a less than stellar delivery by Junior's birth father, John, that she would have trouble adjusting to all the attention but Ellie seemed to be just fine._

 _"Sarah, don't you start today? You don't want to be late."_

 _"I know, Daddy," Sarah said and cuddled Ellie close. "But I just...leaving Ellie Bean is so hard! What if she hates me for it? What if it makes her think I'm abandoning her? She's already been through enough. Maybe I'm starting work too soon."_

 _"It will be fine," Matthew reassured her. "You know your mama and I will watch her well. She's gonna be all right."_

 _"Okay," Sarah sighed and looked at the clock. "You're right. I should go." She looked at the cheerful, dark eyed baby who was so healthy and happy that you'd think she'd never had a bad day in her life, gave her one more big hug, and then reluctantly handed her over to her father, giving her daughter a promise. "I'll be back tonight," she said and played with baby Ellie's feet. "I promise, I'll come back." She then took a deep breath and gave her father a salute. "Thanks for taking care of my baby," she said._

 _"You're welcome," he told her as Ellie snuggled against him. "It's our pleasure."_

"Sarah? Are you okay?"

Sarah blinked and looked at both Junior and her father who were looking at her with concern.

"Are you okay?" Sean repeated. "You seemed sort of lost."

"Yes, I was just...I was just thinking about when Ellie was little," Sarah said. "She turned out okay and my new daughter will too." She looked at Junior. "What's her name again?"

"Juliette," Sean supplied. "I hope that's a good name?"

"Yes," Sarah replied with a contented sigh. "It's lovely. And you'll probably have to tell me a million more times that everything will be okay, but...I'll try and remember."

"I'll do that," Sean said. "Thank you so much for giving me twins! It's so great!"

"But you already _have_ twins!" Sarah reminded him. "Remember Lexie and Emma?"

"Yes, of course I remember them," Sean nodded. "But they aren't _ours_ , are they? Juliette's gonna be pretty like you, I know it!"

Sarah chuckled. "And Elliot's gonna be just like you! Really handsome!"

"I'm so lucky that I have these new wonderful babies," Sean told her and gave her a gentle hug. " _So_ lucky!"

But not everyone shared his joy. Sarah's hospital door had been left open and what nobody realized was that Lexie, who had sneaked in to make amends with her after visiting hours, had heard the whole thing. The distinction Sean had made between her and her sister and her new twin siblings cut deep. Made her feel lesser. And with that, all thoughts of reconciliation and forgiveness left Lexie's mind as she stared through the crack in the door of the hospital room with narrowed eyes. If those were the twins her father wanted, then fine, he could have them. It was nice to know where she stood, and nice to know that she didn't have to care about him, the woman who would undoubtedly soon be his new wife, or any of his other stupid children anymore.


	26. Much Better Together

"Where are you going?" Vincent asked when he saw Lauren dressed up in a nice red dress and diamond jewelry. "I didn't think we were having a date."

"We aren't," Lauren replied. "I'm having an examination with my doctor. That's what you wanted, right?"

Vincent looked her over. "You don't need to wear such a short dress for that," he said.

"Yeah, I do," Lauren nodded. "Now shoo! He's coming soon and I don't want you to be here when he arrives!"

"Fine," Vincent sighed. He got out of sight and stood in a position where he could see Lauren and the doctor but they couldn't see him. They said inane pleasantries and then left the house and once they were gone, Vincent ran to the window and opened the curtain, which Lauren immediately noticed. "Kiss me," she whispered, running her hands through Oliver's hair. "Vincent's watching us. It will make him jealous!"

"Okay!" Oliver grinned after seeing what she saw over Lauren's shoulder. "No problem there!"

They did a long, showy kiss, with a dip and Lauren's foot sliding behind her back, and when they finally broke apart, Vincent was no longer at the window and the curtain was closed.

"Well, that's a relief," Lauren breathed and headed to the car. "Thanks for playing along. It's really the only way to deal with him. Gotta be on my toes at all times."

"No problem," Oliver assured her before closing the car door and getting in beside her. "I was glad to help. Ready for our date? The restaurant is supposed to be fantastic."

"So I've heard," Lauren agreed as he started the car. "I love Greek food, which is why I'm so glad you suggested it."

* * *

Vincent was back at the curtain just in time to watch the two of them pull away and once they were gone, he finally let all the anger he'd been holding back out. He began to yell and trash the living room, making so much noise that Christopher was motivated to come and check on him, grabbing him before all the furnture was upended and getting him back to his senses with a good hard slap.

"What the hell is wrong with you, man?" He demanded and gestured around wildly. "What are you doing?"

Vincent pouted, picking up an overturned footstool and sitting down on it. "Lauren's on a date with that so-called 'doctor' of hers again. I don't like him."

"Of course you don't," Christopher nodded. "But the background check came back okay, right?"

"Well, yes, but...something still seems off," Vincent replied. "I know a screwed up man when I see him, and I don't want Lauren to be hurt."

"Do you really think she'll accept your protection now?" Christopher asked. "I mean, I know you mean well, and you're probably right. But this could be a time where you just need to allow her to make her own mistake. She might appreciate you more after."

"But that seems so cruel!" Vincent cried. "Why let her suffer like that when I could stop it?"

"Because she is just as stubborn as you are and will not accept that she's wrong until she actually experiences just how much," Christopher pointed out. "I know it's hard for you. I know it will probably hurt. But it's the only way she'll learn."

"Fine," Vincent sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Thank you," Christopher replied. "I know I am. Wanna go out and get a drink? You got someone to watch Nick?"

"Yeah," Vincent nodded. "But we shouldn't be gone for too long."

"I'll just go out and get a six-pack," Christopher decided. "That'll be faster."

* * *

When Lauren returned home from her date, the house was dark, and she didn't even run into any of the usual guard on the way back to her and Vincent's room. She was halfway there before she realized that she should probably check on Nick before she went to sleep.

When she reached his door, she found it slightly ajar and heard what sounded like crying from inside. "Poor boy," she told herself. "I bet he missed me."

She opened it a bit more and came inside, realizing, to her shock, that it wasn't Nick that was crying, but her husband! Although she could only see the back of him, his body was shaking and he was clutching Nick against his body as he talked to him.

"I messed things up with your mother so bad," he said. "She's the best damn thing that ever happened to me and I was so damn impatient that I fucked everything up! Now she doesn't like me anymore and I don't know how to fix it!"

Lauren's first impulse was to roll her eyes. He probably knew she was there and was just trying to get on her good side.

"Okay," she said and touched him, making him start violently, his eyes wet as he turned to face her. "You can stop pretending to cry. It won't work. Then she got a good look at him and realized that he wasn't faking.

"Oh, geez," she said. "You're really crying, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Vincent nodded and tried to somber up. "Sorry for keeping Nick up so long." He put him in his bed and then swayed a little.

"Are you okay?" Lauren asked and grabbed his arm. Then she got a whiff of his breath. "Have you been drinking?"

"Not much," he slurred. "Christopher and I just had a little...or a lot. But Nick's not hurt, I swear!"

"I know he's not because it's impossible for you to get _that_ hammered, thank your grandfather," Lauren nodded and began guiding him out the door. "Let's get you in a shower and then get you to bed. You need to sleep. I have...I have some things I need to tell you, but they can wait until tomorrow."

"I don't need to sleep!" Vincent shook his head. "I'm fine! But you know what I _do_ want to do?"

"What?" Lauren asked, playing along even though she already knew the answer.

"You!" Vincent grinned as he pulled her close against him and kissed her soundly.

"Yeah," Lauren nodded. "Good. Let's do it!" But as they were undressing, she suddenly burst into tears and threw herself into Vincent's arms. "I've been so stupid," she cried. "So, so stupid! I hope you can forgive me!"

"Why?" Vincent asked, his brain suddenly clearing. "What's happened?"

"That doctor I hired wasn't a doctor at all," she confessed. "He was an actor I hired to annoy you. But he...he tricked me and took so much of my money! Practically all my credit cards are up to their limit and...and most all I inherited from my parents is gone! Vincent, I feel like such an idiot!"

Vincent's eyes went red and Lauren let out a squeak of pain as the embrace he had her in turned into a tighter squeeze than he meant it to. "He's gonna pay for this," he whispered. "I swear to you, Lauren. I swear. Do I have your permission to do my worst?"

"No, no," Lauren sighed, even though there was a part of her that wanted him to do just that, and even wanted to help him. But she couldn't encourage that behavior in him. Not when he was behaving so well now. "I signed a contract and I need to wait it out cause it's the right thing to do. We'll just chalk this up as a lesson learned for the future."

She rested her head on his shoulder while Vincent frowned at this choice. He would honor it, at least to her face. But he couldn't just let it go. Not when someone as sweet and good as her was deliberately taken advantage of by the worst kind of monster. He had to do something to to the man and he would do it in secret. What Lauren didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"You're gonna respect my wishes, aren't you?" Lauren questioned with narrowed eyes. "You're not gonna pursue this anymore? I just want to forget it ever happened."

"Right, of course," Vincent replied. "Whatever you want." He then changed position so that he was underneath her, her back against the mattress. He nibbled on her earlobe and then whispered, "I know just the thing to make you forget about it. Want me to show you?"

Lauren felt a premptory tingle between her legs just from the sound of his voice. "Please," she squirmed underneath him. "Please do it!"

He grinned and then began to pleasure her with his tongue as she giggled and her hips bucked forward as she threaded her fingers through his dark hair.

After she climaxed, he kissed up her belly and swirled his tongue around her belly button before capturing her lips with his and burying himself inside her over and over as she laughed and called out his name. This was good. Much better than the stilted way they'd done it when she was obligated to.

"Let's screw around til neither of us can move," she suggested with with a grin. "You up for that?"

"Oh, yes," Vincent replied and then kissed her and fingered her. "I am if you are."

* * *

The next morning found Lauren and Vincent tangled up in one another, his chin on her head and her head on his chest.

"I...I missed this," she said as she opened her eyes and sighed. "It was so good! I feel so much better now. I'm glad we're good again. I don't like it when we fight. I'm no good at it."

"I missed you too," Vincent agreed and kissed her hair before running his fingers through it. "And losing Josh and Maeve made me realize just how empty my life would be if I lost you. I'm not letting you go again."

"You are so right," Lauren agreed. "Life is too short to be stubborn and fight over stupid things. We made a lot of mistakes. I know I took you for granted and I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Vincent said. "And I...I promise to be more patient and communicate with you about problems and hold on to my temper rather than just show how mad I am by doing things to deliberately piss you off. I know that's not the way to handle things." He then felt her hand slide down his cock and soon they were kissing as she straddled him, his hands planted firmly on her waist to keep her steady as he thrust forward.

As his hands moved upward and and massaged her breasts, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I have a secret for you. You wanna hear it?"

"Sure," Vincent nodded, a grin slowly curving his lips. "You know I love secrets, especially the naughty kind."

"Well, sadly it's not all that naughty," Lauren admitted. She took his face in her hands and looked deep into his eyes. "I'm pregnant again," she said. "Nick's gonna have a brother or sister soon."

"Really?" Vincent asked, his eyes widening as he kissed her. "That's wonderful! When did you find this out?"

"I've known for a little while," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was being spiteful. But you...you're okay with it, right?" She paused. "Oh, and you're helping with the kid this time, no buts! However, I _will_ be having sex with you once my recovery time is up."

"That seems fair," Vincent agreed with a smile. "Since it's my kid too, it's only fair that I help."

"Damn right it is," Lauren nodded and nibbled on his neck.

"And we'll work on getting all your money back too," Vincent assured her. "It's not right for you to have just been robbed like that."

"It's not necessary," Lauren repeated with a shake of her head. "It wasn't like it was a lot. I'd rather be poor. It's a lot less responsibility. And we'll work together to get my credit cards paid off and all."

"Yeah, it'll all be fine," Vincent assured her as she got off him and he just held her, his fingers going through her hair. "It'll be fine. Anything else you need to tell me about so there are no surprises?"

"No, I'm good," she said.

But then, the bedroom door opened and a young man with dark eyes and curly hair strode in. He was wearing blue boxers and eating peanut butter toast. "Morning, Mom and Dad," he said after swallowing. "I'm Nick! This is what I looked like when I woke up this morning, can you believe it?"

"No," Lauren got out. Then she looked at Vincent. "This isn't a surprise I've been keeping from you. It just happened."

"I know, I know," Vincent nodded. "On the bright side, this makes what you just told me a lot simpler now that Nick can basically take care of himself, right?"


	27. Bringing Juliette Home

After many nights of worry and not much sleep from either of them, Junior and Sarah were finally told that they could take Elliot home.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to separate them?" Sarah questioned as she looked at her robust and squirmy son and her much bigger but still tiny daughter who was still attached to tubes, reaching out to rub her belly. "What if it will just make things worse?"

"I think that if the doctors say you should take Elliot home, you should," Sean told her gently. "You can stay with him and I'll watch over Juliette."

"Yes you will," Sarah said and carefully picked up her son, holding him against her and giving him a smile before grinning at Sean again. "You've already done so much for her, why would you stop now? I'll make up a room for her. Do you think sunny yellow would be nice?"

"Yeah," Sean nodded. "Maybe with roses on the curtains?"

"Oh, I like it!" Sarah smiled. Then she called her parents and waited for them to come pick her up.

"So we finally have a boy in this family," Matthew remarked from the passenger's seat as Christine drove (because Matthew was a lousy driver, even though he loved it). "I'm touched but I don't know if I'd know what to do with one."

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked. "Didn't you practically raise Uncle Andrew? And Selina and Damon had Joshua, you just weren't able to be a big part of his life."

"You know, you're right," Matthew conceded, twisting around and then reaching for his new grandson and looking at him with pride. "Maybe I won't be so bad with him after all." He then said to Christine, "You mind if I drive?"

"No, you are _not_ driving!" Christine said firmly. "If the car suddenly gets replaced by a horse and buggy, _then_ you can drive, but you take the turns too sharp, and have no idea about speed limits, and are way too fond of the brake. which we especially can't afford with a baby in the car."

"I can teach you," Sarah leaned forward to whisper in her father's ear. "Don't worry about it. You just have to wait a little bit."

"Thank you," Matthew whispered, then went back to gazing at Elliot.

* * *

When they got home, Sarah took Elliot straight to his room and sat down in the rocker with him, rocking back and forth, and back and forth.

"I'm so glad you're home," she told him. "Your sister had to stay a bit longer, but soon she'll be home too. And what happened with her isn't your fault. I don't blame you. Your daddy says it's a freak thing that happened and I believe him." She then felt a catch in her throat. "You're my beautiful boy," she said. "And I won't...I won't let anything bad happen to you. You're safe with me. I love you."

And that was how she pretty much stayed until nightfall, when Matthew and Christine, who'd decided to stay for a few days so they could make sure Sarah took time to take care of herself too, finally convinced her to rest for a few minutes.

"Oh, it's all right," she said, trying to conceal an obvious yawn. "I don't need to sleep. I'm fine."

"Go to sleep," Matthew said firmly. "Even if it's just for a few minutes, you need to rest. We can handle things here."

"All right," Sarah said at last, although she was still skeptical. "I'll sleep now."

"Good girl," Matthew told her. "Good girl."

* * *

Junior was not sleeping much either, and he'd even taken to spending every minute of his free time in the neonatal ward, cuddling and massaging his daughter because it was a known fact that that sort of thing helped tiny babies. And just like Sarah, it became harder and harder for him to leave and go back to work each time, but at least he had the assurance that his daughter was getting stronger and stronger by the day. The doctors were very impressed.

"And to think they almost didn't see her," one of his colleagues told him one day. "That'll be a good story to tell her someday: that you were the one who heard her and pulled her out and not the surgeons."

"Well, it was just pure dumb luck and really good vampire hearing, I suppose," Sean replied easily before excusing himself to go tend to a patient, sneaking a glance at Juliette along the way. and reminding himself to call Sarah and tell her about their daughter's progress. Good luck and karma, he thought to himself. I left one daughter so fate let me save another. It seems I'm finally going in the right direction.

* * *

After Sarah and Elliot had been settled at home for a few days, she was glad she'd decided to set up Juliette's room because it gave her something to do during the hours that Junior wasn't around and stopped her, at least temporarily, from worrying about her daughter.

"She's gonna be okay," Ellie said as she helped Sarah paint the room. They were both barefoot and wearing paint spattered t-shirts and overalls as Elliot watched them from a baby swing, which Ellie gave a gentle push every once in awhile along with kissing Elliot's forehead. "Steve _never_ said she was gonna die."

"Who's Steve again?" Sarah asked.

"Oh, that's my father-in-law's human name," Ellie explained. "The name of the guy he took as his vessel."

"Ah," Sarah nodded. "All right. You know, I was thinking that after we finished up here, I might start adding my touch to other parts of the house. I think the couch in the living room could use some colorful cushions, don't you?"

"Yes!" Ellie nodded and zapped up a blue one, a green one, and a pink one, all covered in polka dots before bounding out of the room. "On it!" She brought one back, then sneaked up behind her mother and gave Sarah a gentle whack with it.

"What was that for?" Sarah asked and gave her daughter a look.

"Nothing," Ellie stepped back and gave an absent-minded whistle. "Nothing at all."

"Oh, I think that's not true," Sarah grinned and snatched another pillow, hitting Ellie with it. Soon, they were laughing and pillow fighting and spattering each other with paint while Elliot looked on with alarm.

Finally, they stopped and caught their breaths, and a paint-covered Sarah picked Elliot up and carried him to bed. "I think all this fun is wearing him out," she remarked. "We wouldn't want him to get overstimulated."

While Sarah put Elliot to bed, Ellie went into the kitchen where Lucifer was drinking coffee by himself. Why he'd decided to come with her, she had no idea, but he had and she was probably gonna hear how bored it had made him after. He looked her over as she came into the room and smirked. "Well, hello there, Elly-Mae," he remarked. "Nice overalls. And why are you so...yellow?"

"Paint fight," Ellie said. "I started it." She paused and tried to put her arm around him, but he wasn't having it.

"You're gonna get paint on my suit," he said.

"Oh, come on!" She said, grabbing him, squeezing him hard, and indeed, getting paint on his suit. "See, it's gone now," she pointed out after giving him a zap. "No harm, no foul. You really _should_ see my little brother. He's adorable and you're better with babies now."

"Only if I father them, which in this case I did not, so no thank you," Lucifer replied. "What's in this refrigerator? I'm hungry."

As he rifled through the shelves, Ellie said, "Well, it's a shame you feel that way cause I promised my mother that when she and Dad go on their honeymoon, we'd watch them."

" _You_ will watch them," Lucifer corrected. "Your family, your responsibility."

"Which is why it's Angelica who's keeping tabs on your dad and not you," Ellie nodded. "I get it."

" _Trust_ me, it's better for everyone that I'm having as little contact with my Father as possible," Lucifer told her. Then he turned and glowered. "How much longer are you going to be wearing those horrible things?" He asked as he gestured at her overalls. "I don't like them."

"I think they're comfy," Ellie grinned. "And besides, I don't always dress for you." Then she got right up next to his ear. "But think about this: When we get home you can help me get out of them and wash the paint off me. Does that make them tolerable, knowing you _will_ get to take them off eventually?"

"Yes," Lucifer chuckled and took her in his lap to kiss her soundly. " _Much_ better."

Sarah then appeared, covering her eyes with her hands when she saw what they were doing. "Don't mind me. Please continue kissing. I just wanted to say that I got your brother to bed, Ellie, and I'm ready to continue painting whenever you are." She paused and gave Lucifer a glance. "Oh, and if you want it, there's a bottle of my dad's whiskey in one of the high cabinets next to the refrigerator. I'm sure you could do something with it, right?" She gave him a wink. "And if you would like," she got out a part of a cake from the oven, "Could you test this for me? It's for one of my brothers' birthdays and I want to know if it tastes okay."

"Did I mention how much I like your mother?" Lucifer asked Ellie in a low voice while Sarah's attention was otherwise occupied. "I've been _dying_ to get my hands on your grandfather's stuff!"

"Enjoy," Ellie told him. "We won't be much longer, I swear." She smiled, realization suddenly dawning. "And _that's_ why you came, isn't it? My mother? I shouldn't be surprised that you like her."

"Well, what's not to like?" Lucifer asked. "She's delightful, just like you. And take your time," he continued, easily getting the whiskey out of the cabinet. "I have ways to amuse myself."

He then whispered to Sarah when the two of them were alone because she'd paused to wash her hands while Ellie went to resume painting. "Whiskey doesn't go well with cake," he said. "Do you have hot cocoa? And little marshmallows?"

"Sure," Sarah smiled. "I think I can make you some up."

"Thank you," Lucifer told her when the cocoa and cake were sitting in front of him. "I think I'm gonna like this."

"Oh, I hope you do," Sarah replied with a smile and then gave him a hug without realizing it. She quickly stepped back and apologized cause she was very aware how he felt about being touched, but to her surprise (and his), he told her he'd liked it.

"You hug like your daughter," he grinned. "So please...don't be sorry."

"All right," Sarah nodded and did it again with more confidence this time. "Now that I know you're okay with it, I won't."

* * *

Sarah had just put Elliot down for a nap a few days later when her phone beeped and she saw a message. "Juliette was ready to come home today. Mom, Dad, and I, are waiting outside with her. Come and open the door."

So Sarah ran to the door and opened it. Sean had the bundle that was their daughter in his arms and his parents, Mary and Liam, behind him.

"Here she is, Miss America..." Sean began singing in a strong voice and dancing around with her as Mary involuntarily reached out to save her in case she was dropped.

"Would you relax?" Liam whispered. "He's not gonna drop her!"

"I know," Mary blushed and then hugged Sarah. "Are you all right?" She asked her. "Bet you've been waiting for this for a while, huh?"

"Yeah," Sarah grinned. "Want to come see Juliette's room?" She tapped Sean on the arm and whispered, "But we have to be quiet because Elliot is sleeping!"

"Oh," Sean stopped singing and brought his voice down to a whisper. "Okay, sorry! Lead the way." He looked around as they walked. "I like what you've done with the place."

"Did I do too much?" Sarah whispered as she suddenly realized that the house looked much more feminine than it had before. "I didn't mean to take it over."

"No, it's fine," he assured her and got close enough to kiss her hair as Mary and Liam grinned at each other. "It's _all_ our house now."

"Yeah," Sarah grinned. They made it to Juliette's sunny yellow room with the flowery curtains and Junior gently set her down in her bed. "She _does_ look much stronger," Sarah remarked, leaning down and kissing her hair. "I think I'm going to call her peanut. I've already started calling Elliot pumpkin."

"Can I have a cute nickname?" Junior asked. "You've given everyone a cute nickname except me. And why can't you give Elliot a slightly more masculine nickname like buddy or sport?"

"Well, that's because I was too mad at you before to give you a cute nickname, but I'll think about it," Sarah smiled and gave him a kiss. "And _you_ can call Elliot buddy or sport if you want to, but he's gonna be my pumpkin!"

"Do you need us for anything?" Mary asked once Juliette was settled. "To watch the babies, for instance while you sleep?"

"Oh, thank you," Sarah said and yawned and practically fell into Junior's arms. "I _could_ really use a nap!"

"Go ahead and do it," Mary told her while Junior hugged her close and kissed her hair. "We're here, don't worry."

So Sarah took her nap while Junior, Mary, and Liam took on baby duty, and for the first time since they were born, she slept well.


	28. I Wanna Be Alone With You

Though both Sean and Sarah were glad to have the whole family together, they quickly realized that it meant there wouldn't be easy to find time for just the two of them, especially since the twins themselves liked to stick to their parents like glue.

"I swear," Junior remarked as he paced around the living room late one night with Juliette close to his body while Sarah did the same with Elliot. "It's like they know the second we want to be alone and that's when they start up again. Was Ellie like that?"

"Oh, no," Sarah shook her head. "She liked to keep to herself at night. Or she would cuddle up with my daddy."

Finally, both babies fell asleep and Junior and Sarah quickly sat down on the sofa with them in their laps, the little heads on their chests, as their parents leaned in for a long kiss, hoping they wouldn't be disturbed.

When both babies stayed asleep during the kiss, Sean and Sarah decided to finally put them in their own beds and then go to their room nearby.

"Oh, jeez, that was a long night," Sarah yawned. "I thought they would _never_ get to sleep!"

As she climbed into bed, Junior noticed how her pajamas clung to the curves of her body, and that she wasn't wearing anything underneath them.

"You...you're not wearing anything under your pajamas!" He remarked.

"Of course not," Sarah nodded. "Don't tell me you have a problem with that."

"Oh, no," Junior stripped down the rest of the way. "I just thought that if you wanted, you could dispense with wearing the pajamas too."

Sarah grinned and leaned forward. "But what if I get cold? What will I do then?"

Junior reached out and began unbuttoning her pajama top, his hand sneaking under it while the other one busied itself under her pajama bottoms as they both fell back onto the mattress and he gave her a good rub before pulling her pants down and tasting her. "I'll keep you warm," he whispered. "I promise."

Sarah chuckled and then said, "wait a minute, stop."

"Why?" Sean groaned. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I know I'm gonna scream," Sarah said matter-of-factly as she sat up. "So we should probably put a sound blocking spell on the door to keep Elliot and Juliette asleep, right?"

"Oh, right!" Sean nodded, getting up, making his way to the door, and then zapping on a condom on his way back. "That's a good point. At first I thought you just didn't want to go through with this."

"Are you kidding me?" Sarah asked. "I think we're past that point, honey." She then grinned and threw herself at Junior, straddling him as he ran his fingers through her hair and thrust into her repeatedly, making the mattress squeak and bounce.

After their climax made them nearly fall off the bed, they decided to slow things down. They held onto each other, his hands going all over Sarah's body, and his tongue slowly swirling around her belly.

"Good," Sarah breathed as her eyes closed. "Good." Soon, warmth spread through her body as her toes curled and she took Junior's face in her hands, kissing him soundly. "You did good, soldier," she told him as he rolled off her and worked on catching his breath before he pulled her close again and clapped the lights off.

"You ready to get all the sleep we can before the twins need something?" Sean whispered and kissed her hair.

"Yes," Sarah nodded. "How long do you think we have?"

Sean made note of the time before his eyes closed. They got an hour before baby wails sent them running next door.

* * *

Catching a few winks as the sun came up, they were awakened a few hours later by the sound of the doorbell.

"Who could that possibly be?" Sarah muttered. "Let me get it."

She got up and opened the door to find her smiling, perky daughter on the other side. "Good morning!" Ellie greeted. "Sorry to disturb, but I thought you might want some alone time so I figured I'd come over and give you a hand with the babies."

"Oh," Sarah's eyes widned and she felt much more awake as she pulled her eldest inside and they both went to wake Junior.

"Sean, Ellie says she'll watch the babies so we can have time alone!" Sarah cried in an excited whisper. "Wanna go have sex?"

"Yes," Junior nodded and sat up. "Yes, I do." He took Sarah by the hand and gave Ellie a smile. "Thanks, honey. Did Steve send you?"

"Not personally," Ellie smiled. "But I've had twins too, remember. And even with the help, time alone was hard to come by, so I know what you're going through, believe me." She grinned. "Plus, I just love babies."

Junior smiled and gave Ellie a hug. "Thanks a lot, sweetie. If you need any help, don't hesitate to interrupt us."

"I think I'll be fine," Ellie promised. "But if I need you, I promise I will knock first. I think that would be better for all of us."

They parted ways then and Sean and Sarah headed to their room and closed the door.

"Are we actually gonna have sex now?" Sarah asked. "Or do you just want to sleep? I can go either way."

"I do like sleep," Sean said, coming toward her, pulling her close against his body, and nibbling on her earlobe. "But I like it much more after an orgasm. Don't you? Is that spell still on the door?"

"I should think so," Sarah nodded. "But you're the one who cast it, not me, so..."

He stepped away from her for a moment and went to check and when he was sure the silencing spell was still on the door, he came back and started to undress before Sarah stopped him.

"I think we should do something a little different," she said and began shuffling a deck of cards. "You any good at poker?"

"Probably not as good as you if you've got your uncle teaching you," Sean replied. "Do you?"

"No," Sarah shook her head. "Luckily for you, Uncle Andrew and I have never played. I'm pretty bad at this. Should socks count as one item or two?"

"Let's go with two," Sean replied his eyes sliding down to her low-cut top. "That's a nice shirt," he commented.

"Yeah, I'm sure you think so," Sarah grinned and put a hand under his chin so that he was looking into her eyes before dealing out the cards. "I think you'll win," she told him. "Lucky you."

They played several games, trying to make it so each one won the same amount of times. But as Sarah predicted, Junior won more and finally, Sarah threw the cards away and decided to give him an even bigger surprise for winning.

"Oh, what is it?" Junior asked. "What more could you possibly give me? What could be better?" Then his eyes widened as she zapped up a poll and a stereo and was soon pole dancing for him, and as flexible as she was, some of the positions she got herself in were very impressive and made his mind wander to the point where she had to give him a light slap on the cheeks to get his attention.

"Sorry," he apologized, leaning forward to kiss her bare shoulders. "My mind wandered."

"I thought it did," Sarah chuckled. "I would have been disappointed if it didn't." Then she giggled as he got her underneath him and began tickling her. "You wanna kill me don't you?" She laughed. "You're gonna kill me!"

"Oh, I hope not," Sean replied, parting her legs and kissing up her inner thighs before pleasuring her with his tongue. "It would be _such_ a waste."

* * *

"Room 375," Junior said as he pulled the key to the hotel room out of his pocket a few weeks later and opened the door. Just as they got inside, he and Sarah began stripping off their clothes and kissing. "Perfect place to have a weekend of peace and quiet." Though they'd found time to be alone, they were never truly alone in their own house because, of course, the twins were always at the back of their minds. Finally, they called his parents and asked if they could stay with them for the weekend while they took a hotel room, which Mary and Liam quickly agreed to, much to their relief.

"Are you," Sarah paused and panted before pulling his body to hers. "Are you sure we're doing the right thing? What if this is bad parenting?"

"It's not," Junior assured her. "My parents are watching the kids, they can zap up whatever they need and we have our phones...it's all good."

"Right," Sarah grinned and pushed him onto the bed, running her hands over his naked body before he loomed over her and grinned as he gave her a hot glance. "I suppose you have a point."

He put his hands on her breasts and licked his lips. "You're not tired, are you? Cause we're going to be working very hard."

"No, I'm not tired," Sarah assured him and grinded her hips. "Definitely not!"

He then zapped the ice bucket over and told her to close her eyes. She let out a gasp as she felt the cold ice slide over the bare skin of her stomach. "Cold," she whispered. "Cold."

"Too much?" Junior asked.

"No," Sarah shook her head. "Keep going."

Soon, every inch of her body was covered in cold water and goosebumps, but it was a good thing. She knew she wouldn't be cold for very long.

"Can I feed from you?" Sean asked. "I just want a little."

"Take all you want," Sarah said, warmth pooling in her belly at the thought of his warm lips on her neck. "It's not like I won't heal." She then felt warm breath, soft lips, and brief, stinging pain at her throat as his hand slipped between her thighs and she was hit with the dueling sensations of having her blood drawn out and being rubbed, which led to orgasms that could only be described as intense and violent. nearly sending Junior rolling off the bed.

"Are you all right?" He asked. "Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" Sarah asked. "You're the one who fell off the bed! I should be asking if you're okay!"

"True," Sean nodded. "I'm fine."

They took a break after that, eating some of the food that had been left for them as part of their honeymoon suite package, but it just took a few seconds of watching Sarah eat strawberries for Junior's mind to go back to sex again.

"I need to go take a cold shower," he said. "You keep eating."

"You want me to come with you?" She asked.

"No, thanks," Sean shook his head. "That would defeat the point, I'm afraid."

Sarah shrugged and kept eating the strawberries as she heard the shower turn on and Sean's cry of shock as the cold water hit his skin.

They spent the rest of the day together and then looked at the clock and realized it was dinner time, both by the time on the clock and the growling of their stomachs.

"Wanna order in?" Sarah asked.

"Actually, they have a nice restaurant downstairs," Sean remarked. "I was thinking we could have a grown up dinner. Unless you don't want to."

"Oh, no, that sounds great!" Sarah said, getting out of bed and zapping on a nice blue dress and heels and putting up her hair before turning around and helping Sean with his tie.

"I love your suit," she remarked. "Navy blue is such a good color for you."

Sean grinned. "So glad you like it," he told her as she tousled his blond hair. "I thought it would be nice if we matched."

They then made their way to the restaurant and quickly got a table, then ordered wine as well as the most expensive cuts of meat on the menu.

"I don't feel guilty about this at all," Sarah smiled as she drank her wine and cut into her giant steak. "And you better believe I'm saving room for dessert too. This could be one of the only times we have to ourselves for a while, that we're truly alone, and we should make the most of it."

"I'm surprised you got your meat cooked so rare," Sean said. "Didn't think that of you."

"Oh, yeah," Sarah nodded, her eyes momentarily becoming black and vein-y before she stuck a forkful of meat in her mouth as red dribbled down her chin. "I like it bloody! And don't feel bad about being shocked. It surprises my dad too."

Between dinner and dessert, the live band switched from smooth jazz to a swing tune and Sarah stood up. "Wanna dance?" She asked, even though no one else was. "There's a dance floor and it would be a shame to let it go to waste."

"Sure," Sean nodded and took her hand, twirling her when they reached the dance space. "I'd love to."

They danced to the song, afterward earning applause from the band and other patrons who soon copied them, and when Sean and Sarah returned to their chairs, they found a dessert sampler platter at their table. "In celebration of you," it said. It was free.

"How nice," Sarah said as they grabbed forks and dug into chocolate cake, caramel apple tarts, and creme brulee. "We should definitely come back here for our honeymoon, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Sean grinned and leaned forward to give her a quick peck before she grinned back and stuffed his mouth full of tart. "I would like that."


	29. Not The Best Guardian Angels

"Damn!" Emma swore. She kicked the bed and grabbed the note off the pillow. It was from Lexie, saying that she'd gone out again, even after she'd promised to go to the amusement park with Emma. "Lexie, you suck!" She hadn't seen a lot of her sister since their mother's death and this was just another day of the same.

She was about to leave and go look for her when the bedroom door opened and her sister poked her head in before collapsing on her bed and shutting her eyes.

"Where have you been?" Emma asked. "We were supposed to go out today!"

"Can't," Lexie said. "I'm too tired. Leave me alone!" She started to roll over, but Emma stopped her, looking her sister over. She seemed much smaller, as if she'd lost weight, and whenever she was around, she was always needing to sleep or be buried under her covers.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked. "You know if you have a problem, you can talk to me about it, right?"

"I _don't_ have a problem!" Lexie spat, swatting at her and giving Emma an eyeful of what seemed like several needle marks down her arms as they both took on their mother's gray demon appearance, horns and all. "Just go away! How many times do I have to say it!"

"You'll not be allowed to stop because I'm gonna keep nagging you until you tell me what's wrong!" Emma cried, trying to keep her voice from breaking. "Whatever you're doing, it probably won't kill you, but it's not good for you. I've already lost my mother, and I don't want to lose a sister too."

Lexie looked at her sister's trembling lip for a few seconds. Normally that would make her protective instincts kick in, but now she just didn't care. She was tired of needing to protect others when she felt like the world had collapsed around her. She just didn't have the energy anymore.

"I...I'm sorry," she said and got up. "I can't do this anymore." She threw some stuff in a bag and headed for the door. "I need to be by myself. Find my own way. I know you won't like it, but...don't try to follow me, or send the stupid angels after me. I'll be all right. Can you trust me about that?"

"No!" Emma shook her head and then shook her sister so hard that her head snapped back and Emma's own blonde curls bounced wildly on her shoulders. "What the hell is wrong with you? I know you're hurting. I am too! But running away won't make it better!"

"Then you obviously don't know what I'm going to do," Lexie said, her dark eyes nearly becoming black. "Goodbye, Emma." She then pushed Emma away and stormed out without another word.

Emma knew that was the point where she should have called Gabriel and Michael. She still didn't quite believe in the whole 'Guardian Angel' thing. But Lexie was in a bad place and she was desperate. If she didn't come back in a couple of days, then, Emma decided, she would send a search party.

* * *

"What is it that you want from us?" Michael grouched as he and Gabriel sat at the kitchen table with Emma two days later. "And _please_ tell me it won't take too long. I have a date."

"Don't mind him," Gabriel snapped and glared at his brother. "We're supposed to be looking after you before anything else. So please, tell us what the matter is and we'll see what we can do to help."

"I think there's something wrong with Lexie," Emma explained. "She hasn't dealt well with Mom's death. She hasn't been eating, she's been keeping very weird hours, and I think she's been taking drugs!"

"Is that so?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at his brother. "Did you know about that? Why haven't you done anything to stop it?"

"Cause Lexie is your job, you idiot!" Michael reminded him. "You're the one who's falling down on the job!"

Gabriel froze and blushed. "Oh, you're right," he said. "Sorry." He stood up and said, "That ends now. I'm going to find Lexie and the two of you are gonna help, okay? I'll check the shopping centers, you two check the clubs!"

"Okay!" Both Emma and Michael said at the same time, but in very different tones. Then Emma elbowed Michael in the gut. "Why don't you want to help me find my sister?"

"I have a date, okay?" Michael told her for the second time. "With a very pretty girl. For Dad's sake, your sister is a _supernatural being_ , for crying out loud! Nothing bad could possibly happen to her. She can take care of herself! And with Gabriel looking out for her, what do _I_ need to be involved for?" His dark eyes drilled into hers.

"You have to be involved because _I'm_ looking for my sister and you're supposed to make sure nothing bad happens to me. You were doing so well," Emma reminded him. "Don't ruin it."

Michael then began to chuckle. "Do you honestly think I _care_ about ruining it? I don't give a fuck if people see me as good or bad. I'll do what I want and it does not include wasting my evening on some wild goose chase!"

"You know what, fine!" Emma yelled. "If you won't help me find my sister, go on your stupid date! Go fuck whoever you want! I don't care! At least it will make you tolerable cause you won't be a whiny pain in the ass!"

"Fine!" Michael snapped back. "And I was going to, even without your permission!"

Emma then made it so he wasn't entirely home free. She followed him to his black 1979 Corvette. "Drop me off at the club too," she said. "Maybe I can find people there who saw Lexie."

"Fine," Michael sighed after she wouldn't give in, no matter how many times he insisted it wasn't safe, and pushed her in the back seat. "Come on. But try not to get anything on the interior. And don't come crying to me when you realize how unsavory the area is and get scared because remember, I _was_ nice enough to warn you."

* * *

They drove to a club and Michael parked, leaving Emma in the backseat with instructions not to move until he came back and gave her permission to go ask around about Lexie. All Emma could do was watch (even though she'd told him she would do her nails) as he soon emerged from the club with a leggy blonde in a tight black dress. They stood against a club wall in view of the car. Michael turned and seemed to look right at Emma before getting down on his knees and pushing the girls' skirt up, tasting her and then fingering her, right there against the club wall as he kissed her neck. Not very angelic behavior at all.

Emma could tell by the look on the woman's face what was going on. Curious, she got up to sit in the front seat and get a better look. The window was down so she could hear the woman's loud moans as she was being pleasured. That made Emma slip her hand down her sweat pants and give herself a rub as she pretended that _she_ was the one Michael was pleasuring and not the other woman. After making a good effort to look away of course. But that failed, quickly.

She just kept rubbing and rubbing, being more aroused by the woman's moans and the thought of Michael touching her every minute until finally, she orgasmed, a cry that she didn't want anyone to hear escaping her lips. Or at least a cry she didn't want _Michael_ to hear. But just after, he slipped the woman some money, and then turned on his heel and strode back to the car, a grin on his lips.

Emma quickly moved her hand and tried to maintain neutral expression as he got in the front seat. The show against the club wall had been only half the story; the woman had really given him his money's worth, that was for sure. It made it much easier to not think about the annoying blonde in the back seat who was a better kisser than he'd like to admit.

He eyed her in the rear view mirror. Her cheeks were dark red and she was trying to avoid his gaze, so naturally, he climbed the seat next to her and got up real close. "You were watching us, weren't you?" He hissed in her ear. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma said.

"I think you do," he grinned and pulled at her arm, the hand of which was concealed in the pocket of her pink sweatshirt. "Give me your hand. The one you're hiding. Let me see it."

"No!" Emma shook her head. "I most certainly will not!"

"Fine, then I'll do it for you," he said and grabbed her hand, nodding. "Oh, yes," he said, inhaling deeply. "I can definitely smell arousal. You were watching what I was doing and pleasuring yourself, weren't you? Did it work? Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh, you are such a _pervert!"_ Emma cried. "A smug, self-centered pervert! What makes you think you would arouse me at all?"

"I just know," he said and sneaked a hand under her shirt, which led to him getting a good hard slap when he cupped her breasts. They then began to tussle but the backseat of the car didn't give them a lot of room to move. Soon, they fell against each other and involuntarily held one another close.

"Not a lot of room back here, is there," he whispered into her hair as they both breathed hard and the car began to heat up. "Let's go up front, we can set the seat back and have more room.

"To do what?" Emma asked. But the question was barely out of her mouth before he pulled her up to the front seat and positioned things so that she was straddling him. Her butt was resting on the steering wheel and as she realized what was about to happen, she began fighting tooth and nail, her fury broken when her butt honked the horn, making passerby stare.

"Good job," Michael whispered angrily. "Can't your ass control itself for one minute? It probably would if I got my hands on it. Let's see."

She tried to fight him some more, grabbing fistfuls of his dark hair and pulling, but that just seemed to arouse him more and soon, they were kissing and she was tugging at her shirt.

"I can do it," he said, deftly getting her shirt off and undoing her bra. "No problem!" This is what he'd wanted all along, but he wouldn't tell _her_ that.

But a second honk of the horn by Emma's butt brought her back to her senses. She broke the kiss they were in the middle of and gave him a good hard slap before grabbing her bra, putting on her shirt, and then crawling in the backseat to get as far away from Michael as possible.

"Don't think that's going to happen again," she warned. "It was just a freak thing. You caught me at a weak moment. If you want to have sex with someone, call a hooker and don't bother me."

"Fine," Michael spat. "Go look for your sister. And if you don't come back, I'm not even gonna care!"

"I don't _care_ that you don't care," Emma replied and stuck her tongue out at him before zapping her clothes right, getting out of the car, and slamming the door. "So there!"

* * *

While Michael screwed around, Gabriel stuck to his job and went on to look for Lexie just like he promised Emma he would. He went to a rough part of town not far from Emma and Lexie's house with Lexie's picture in hand and asked anyone he could find if they'd seen her.

"Oh, yeah," A man chuckled and pointed at a run down hotel that was literally just feet away. "I've seen her there, giving her favors to the bikers that come around. I hear they like her cause they just have to give her drugs and not money."

"What?" Michael's jaw dropped and he left them and strode inside the hotel. He looked in several doors until he found Lexie servicing a large biker who looked as if he was squishing her under his much bigger body and she didn't look like she was enjoying herself one bit.

"All right," he said and threw his coat at her. "Enough of this disgusting display. Put your panties and my coat on. We're leaving!"

"Oh, well look who cares about me now when he didn't give a shit before!" Lexie spat without moving and gave a loud, fake moan.

"You heard the lady," The biker turned to face Gabriel after giving a strong thrust. "This one is mine. If you wanna fuck, get one of your own!"

"You think a man whose bulk is probably more plentiful than the length of his penis frightens me?" Gabriel scoffed. "You're probably really small and are full of all this bravado just to make up for how insecure you are." He got up in the man's face. "Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong." He was baiting the man to get him away from Lexie and it seemed to work. The man got off of Lexie and raised one of his heavily tattooed arms threateningly.

"I'm gonna hit you so hard you're never gonna wake up again," the man spat. But as he prepared to do just that, the normally civil Gabriel called up enough power to throw him hard against the wall after giving him a good hard kick in his exposed crotch, and it was the other man who ended up being knocked out cold.

Gabriel woke him up and urged him to stand and dress, leave, and never come back. The woozy man did just that, groaning about the pain between his legs and clutching that area after he dressed and limped out the door.

"Smart move!" Gabriel called after him. "Any more trouble from you would have made you sterile for good. Not that that's a bad idea!"

"What the hell was that for?" Lexie shouted as he shut the door. "He was my best customer! He gave me the good stuff even if he wasn't much to look at and he smelled really bad!"

"And just what is it that he gave you?" Gabriel questioned. "Emma said you could be taking drugs. Are you?"

"It's none of your business if I am or not," Lexie snapped. Then she noticed he was unbuttoning his shirt. "You wanna fuck?" She asked. "Is that why you came in here to make sure my bed was vacant?"

"No," Gabriel threw his shirt at her. "Put that on. We're leaving! I don't want you here another minute. It's not good for you."

"No," Lexie spat stubbornly and sat back down on the bed. "And fuck you for thinking you can tell me what to do. I told Emma that if she called you and your brother, you wouldn't get anywhere. I wasn't lying about that, so you might as well give up."

"Were you only shooting up?" Gabriel pressed as he sat beside her. "Are you taking pills too?" He began to look for bottles and when he found none, he breathed a sigh of relief, followed by a sigh of exasperation as he gazed upon the still naked Lexie. "What part of 'Put on my shirt and we'll leave' do you not understand?"

"What part of 'Fuck you and get out' do _you_ not understand?" Lexie returned. "We seem to be having a communication problem."

"I didn't want to have to play tough with you," he said at last. "I thought that if I was gentle, if I was kind, if I showed you I cared, you would snap out of this, but you want to play tough, so I will."

"Like you can!" Lexie chuckled. "I'll believe it when I see it."

To her surprise, he then began trying to pin her to the bed so he could get the shirt on her and when he was really determined and trying, he was annoyingly strong. She bit and kicked and scratched with all her might, but it barely seemed to bother him.

Finally though, she found herself straddling him, his eyes wide as he looked up at her, and his breathing ragged.

"Not so tough now, are you angel boy?" Lexie grinned. "What's a matter? Afraid of a naked girl, Gabriel? You're really horny right now, I can feel it. Is this your first time?" She ran a finger down his cheek. "Do they scare you, the feelings you're feeling? Are you afraid of going to the dark side?" She laughed.

It was the laughter that did it. If she hadn't laughed, Gabriel probably would have stayed right where he was. But that laughter turned her from a troubled girl to a woman who needed to be taught a lesson: don't try and beat an angel cause you'll lose. Pride would not allow him to stay on the bottom for long, especially not against a lowly demon. With one move, she was underneath him and staring up at him in shock.

"Surprised?" He asked, pushing her curly hair out of her eyes. "You shouldn't be. You should be afraid. I don't want you to be afraid of me, but if it will remind you who and what I am, I won't hesitate to frighten you if I have to." He held her down, making moving very difficult for her. "Now, this is the last time I am going to say this with any amount of calm: You are getting on my absolute last nerve. Put on my shirt and come with me. We're leaving this awful place and you are going home to be with your sister, where you belong, do you understand me?"

"Yes, and do you understand about breath mints?" Lexie returned before kissing him just to see what he would do. That kiss, just the barest touch of his lips to hers, moved them both more than they expected and she quickly leapt off the bed and grabbed his shirt, putting it on and buttoning it as she ran out the door without even looking over her shoulder to see if he was following as he hoped with everything he had in him that she was heading to his car and that he hadn't lost her again.


	30. Steve And Gwen, Interrupted

"It was so clever of you to ask me to have a date tonight," Gwen said as she came through the door of Steve's house and he took her coat and hung it up. "It's my and Mikael's anniversary tonight and if I didn't have an excuse to get away, he would try and exercise what he feels are his rights to my body and though I could handle him, it's too much of a headache and just easier to leave." She grinned. "But that's why you did it, right?"

"Oh, of course," Steve nodded. "And besides, it's not really your anniversary. You never truly had any anniversary. the man who married you was just pretending."

"What?" Gwen asked, her jaw dropping. "Does Mikael know?"

"Of course not," Steve shook his head as they heard the slam of a car door. "But here he comes. "Would you like to tell him? I won't deprive you of the moment."

Then Gwen noticed the lovely appetizers on the coffee table. "I hope those won't get cold while we get this over with," she said as Mikael burst in and tried to pull her away. "I made dinner reservations for our anniversary," he told her. "We don't want to be late!" Then he saw what was on the table, the lovely dinner that Steve had set up for him and Gwen. "Or, since it seems like you've gone to all this trouble, we could just skip the dinner reservations and eat here. That's fine too. Just as long as we're spending our anniversary together."

He then noticed that Steve had moved to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. "That's _my_ spot," he told him. "Move."

"I don't think so," Steve replied. "If you want me to move, you're going to have to make me."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Mikael assured him, taking up the challenge and sending Steve tumbling to floor with one swift push, and then continued to poke, prod, and hit while Steve just looked on, remarkably unaffected, which made Mikael angry enough to break a wine bottle and pursue Steve with it.

"Okay, okay," she said at last, putting the wine down and running over to him, placing herself between him and Steve, looking at the wine stain on the carpet with dismay. "Enough, break it up! No more beating up on Steve, Mikael, or wasting perfectly good wine!"

"Oh, does that mean he's leaving?" Steve questioned. "Cause that's the only way you're not going to have a fight."

"And I am _not_ leaving unless my wife comes with me," Mikel replied savagely and took Gwen by the arm.

Steve took her by the other arm and tugged her toward himself. "Well, then you're not taking anyone anywhere because she's not your wife! You were never actually married to her! The man who married you was just in a costume! And you never really untangled yourself from your first wife, did you?"

The mention of his first wife who had cheated on him made Mikael narrow his eyes and gnash his teeth, which were full on fangs by now. What was it with women and being incapable of staying faithful to him? What did he do to deserve this?

"You can go now, Mikael," Steve told him firmly and gave him several pushes in the direction of the front door. "Gwen be a dear and open the front door so I can show Mikael out."

"With pleasure," Gwen replied, helping pull an even more resistant Mikael along.

"Not until you tell me how the hell you knew Gwendolyn and I weren't married!" Mikael told him. "How? _How_?"

"He knows everything," Gwen replied, urged him to the threshold of the door and gave him a swift kick in the butt. "He's God. Goodnight, Mikael." She then slammed the door in his face and locked it. "Well, I'm glad that's over," she said, dusting off her hands. "Now, here's to a peaceful night. Did you want wine?"

"I wouldn't relax just yet, Gwen," Steve sighed, his blue eyes full of worry. "We might have gotten through our most difficult interruption, but there will be others. This won't be as romantic of an evening as I had hoped, but I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"No need," Gwen shook her head. "I'm all right." She handed him a glass. "Drink this," she instructed as they both sat down at the edge of their chairs, tensed and waiting for their next visitor. "You look like you could use it."

* * *

Angelica hurled her loudly ringing phone into a nearby fountain, sat down out on a bench outside of the hotel where they were holding a convention for event planners to show the latest trends in invitations and whatnot, and sighed. She'd been distracted during the seminar, but now that she was away from it, she was again confronted by her constantly ringing phone. When she'd first left and Sammy had called to check up on her and tell her that he missed her, she'd answered, even if he'd come off a bit clingy. But then the nice messages had turned into repeated declarations that he was horny, he wanted her to come home, and if she didn't soon, he'd come back and drag her home by her hair if he had to.

It was too much to ignore now. Something was seriously wrong with him. She skipped the last part of the seminar and zapped herself to her grandfather's house, taking Pepper in her arms and petting him as she faced Steve on the sofa. He and Gwen had been drinking champagne together and she knew she'd interrupted, but she didn't care. "Something's wrong with Sammy," she told him as he avoided her eyes. "You wanna tell me why you didn't let me know so I could prepare for him going crazy? That would have been nice! Grandpa, what's wrong with him and how can I make it _stop_?"

"He's been possessed by the Dragon Lady's spirit," Steve said with a sigh. "Or under her influence at any rate. That's why he's been acting so strangely."

"And you've known about this the whole time?" Angelica scoffed and sat down heavily on the sofa. "You _knew_ he'd be having all this trouble and you didn't think to mention it so I could help? Dad's right, you really are a big jerk sometimes, you know that? After all I've done for you, how could you _do_ that to me? To him? Don't I deserve better than that? _Don't_ I? You're my grandfather, remember? Don't you care about how this makes me feel?"

He opened his mouth to respond, thinking that she had more of her father in her than he'd realized, but she stopped him and got to her feet. " _Don't_ you give me any bull about this having to happen or it being for the best. There's no way this is beneficial to anyone! Just...in fact, just don't talk to me anymore, all right?"

"Can I get you anything?" Gwen asked as she made her way to the door.

"No, thank you," Angelica said. "But it was so nice of you to offer." She then slammed the door so hard that a picture fell off the wall, making the frame crack as Gwen and Steve sat in silence.

"Well, that went well," Gwen spoke at last. "Didn't it? Is it over? No more visitors?"

"Just wait," Steve told her. "They'll stop coming eventually."

* * *

And he was right. Not long after Angie stormed out, Michael stormed in as Gwen and Steve lounged in the living room, her at the piano, and him on the floor, teaching Pepper to roll over because he didn't want to wreck the romantic atmosphere of their dinner again when he knew what and who was coming. Gwen got up to get a snack from the kitchen, leaving Steve alone. The doorbell didn't even ring and He barely had time to look up before his son, Michael, came barging in.

"You never could knock, could you," he remarked. "Some things just don't change."

"What was that noise?" Gwen asked as she came out with a large salad bowl in hands, lettuce covered in cheese and ranch dressing. "Steve, what's going on?" She came in, saw a furiously pacing Michael, and grinned. "Oh, another visitor! How lovely!" She put her salad bowl down. "Unless you're mad about something too. Are you?"

Michael just glared and tapped his foot.

"Not talkative, is he?" Gwen asked.

"Gwen, this is my son, Michael," Steve sighed deeply. "And Michael, this is Gwen."

"Hello," Michael replied curtly without looking up and then went back to pacing without saying a word.

Gwen and Steve watched this for five or ten minutes, not saying a thing until Michael began muttering, "Oh, Emma. _Damn_ you, Emma. _Why_?"

"Who's Emma?" Gwen whispered, leaning toward Steve.

"One of the twins Sean Mikaelson had with Maeve," Steve supplied.

"Oh, right," Gwen nodded. "The demon who just passed away." She paused. "Where's Maeve now?"

"I'm taking care of her," Steve said. "Don't worry about that. She's in Heaven now for helping to save Eleanor."

"Oh, of course that's where she went!" Gwen exclaimed. "Where's my head?"

"Will you stop talking like I'm not even here, because I am!" Michael cried, his voice full of irritation.

"I'm sorry," Steve told him. "You seemed like you just wanted to complain and we didn't want to interrupt!" He turned back to Gwen. "I made him do guardian angel duty for Emma and it seems to have put him in a bad mood."

"I am _not_ going to be stuck to Emma's hip!" Michael said. "She's so bossy and stupid that she doesn't need me! It's a waste of my time! You want her to have a guardian angel, go foist the responsibility on someone else!" Then, just as his niece Angelica had, he stormed out and closed the door behind him without even a 'Goodbye'.

"Do you think he likes her, but doesn't want to admit it?" Gwen asked Steve.

"I don't _think_ ," Steve grinned and gave her a wink. "I _know_. All this complaining is just bravado. He's not gonna leave Emma. At least not permanently. No worries about that."

Finally, Steve just decided that regardless of who was coming, he and Gwen would have their dinner. It could be romantic if they made it so. Plus, the look on Mikael's face when he had told him that Gwen had never been his wife had made up for the inconvenience he had caused.

* * *

He was setting the table after Michael left and working on dinner when he heard Gabriel's voice from the living room, followed by Gwen laughing in response to something he said. He paused folding the napkins into swans and went into the living room.

"We have another guest!" Gwen said with a smile. "Finally, someone who can at least _act_ like they're happy to be here."

"Oh, how could I not enjoy myself when I'm talking to someone as pleasant as you, Gwen," Gabriel smiled and looked at his father. "You don't need to make introductions. Gwen's been giving me some very good advice about Lexie."

"Has she?" Steve asked. "I hope you can take it. You were a bit hard on her before."

"So you think I should have just let her ignore me?" Gabriel asked. "She wasn't listening when I was being nice! I had to protect her from herself cause she was being a giant pain in the butt! And how is her prostituting herself for drugs supposed to help anything! Father, it's dangerous!"

"Interesting that your reaction to Alexandra is as negative as your brother's was to Emma," Steve remarked. "I would have thought one of you would have sympathy for a grieving girl."

"Well, I do have sympathy," Gabriel said. "But still, it's awfully hard to be patient when the person you're doing your best to help doesn't listen to a word of it or appreciate what you're trying to do."

Then, to make sure his dad understood how upset he was, he began talking at length about how frustrated Lexie was making him.

"This will take a while," Steve said, taking Gwen's hand and squeezing. "You have magic that can warm up dinner if this visit goes on too long?"

"Yes," Gwen whispered back before they turned to face Gabriel and pretend to listen to his ranting. "Don't worry about that."

At last he left, much more calmly than the others and with a 'Goodbye' even if it was brief, and when the door closed behind him, Steve turned to Gwen with a content grin on his face.

"No one else is coming," he said, striding toward her and taking her in his arms. "We finally get to be alone."

"Well, that calls for atmosphere, doesn't it?" Gwen smiled. She dimmed the lights in the room and put a fire in the fireplace.

Steve sat down on the rug in front of it and patted the spot next to him. "Please come and sit. We have some time before dinner is ready."

"All right," Gwen replied. They looked into each other's eyes and then leaned forward ever so slowly, their lips coming together in a kiss as their fingers tangled in each other's hair. That didn't last very long. They pulled apart, looked at one another wide eyed, and then grabbed each other again, kissing deeper and longer this time.

Then, Gwen felt shock as Steve's hands moved from her hair to her shoulders and down her sides, then moved from kissing her lips to kissing her neck. It felt good, of course...but also strange, especially when, even though the only parts of her skin he was touching were her arms and neck, she began to feel tingles and warmth in places that were not visible, and that's what made her freeze. Cause she could _not_ forget that no matter how humble he wanted to be, he was _God_ for crying out loud! She was sitting in front of a fire, in the dark, making out with _God!_ It was something a teenager would do! It was ridiculous! What kind of a person got that sort of physical reaction to _God?_ It was too much, it was too weird, and this had to stop right now before they crossed the line, at least until she could figure out what was going on.

"Sorry," she said after taking a little more time to play with his hair. "I have to, um...go change for dinner! I thought I heard the oven go off. I'll be back soon!"

"Wear something blue," Steve told her, taking her hand before letting it go. "You look lovely in blue!"

Gwen said nothing in response to that, but as he watched her go, he grinned to himself and headed to the kitchen. He knew the oven hadn't gone off. Gwen was just shy, but that was to be expected, given her history with men. It would get better with time, and lucky for her, he thought as he checked the turkey, he was a very patient man.


	31. You're Still The One

"It was real big of you to do this, Emma," Lucifer remarked as they hung out in his kitchen waiting for Junior to show up with Juliette as an attempt at reconciliation. "I would have _not_ forgiven my father so quickly. And I haven't!"

Emma sighed and shrugged. "Part of me isn't ready, but I see what hanging onto the anger is doing to Lexie and I don't want that to happen to me too, so...I'm gonna try and move on. It's what Mom would want, right, Uncle Lucifer?"

"Yeah," Lucifer nodded, reaching out and touching her hand. "I thank your mother would be very proud of your efforts."

But when Sean and Juliette arrived, Emma's politeness failed her. She looked for two seconds at the little baby in her father's arms, at his eager grin, and tried to smile for him, but instead, turned to have a conversation with Lucifer.

"Did you see Juliette?" Junior asked her.

"Yeah, I saw it," Emma said, not turning. "It's a baby. What else do you want me to say?"

"Well, I don't know," Junior said and shifted the baby in his grip. "I know you're upset about this whole awkward situation and I get why. I'm not saying you have to be cheerful and peppy and conceal your feelings, but...be mad at me, okay? Don't take it out on her."

Emma finally turned. "What sort of a person could be that forgiving?" She asked. "What sort of a person could just put that much pain aside and pretend to be happy when they're not? When being in a situation that just reminds them that they've lost something precious and they're not gonna get it back?"

"Ellie did," Junior told her. "When you and Lexie were born, when you got home from the hospital, she came and visited the both of you and she was kind. At least she tried, even though I'm sure she was hurting too."

"Well, isn't that just dandy?" Emma scoffed. "We'll just bow down to the marvelously flexible Ellie cause clearly she's much better than everyone else because she doesn't hurt like normal people!"

"Actually she does," Lucifer countered. "She feels very deeply, and I don't know how she stands it, especially when the feelings of those she cares about mean so much to her that she'll repress her own anger, frustration, and sadness just so she doesn't burst other peoples' happy bubbles. Of course then I have to go visit the Slothful and drag her out of the River of Sorrows, but...there you go. We're working on that not happening. So can't you give a little, Emma? It's not your siblings' fault that they came into the world how they did." He gave Junior a look while continuing to speak to her. "You wanna take out your anger on someone, put it where it belongs... _on your father_."

"Hey!" Junior protested.

"Am I wrong?" Lucifer asked. "Tell me, Sean. Please."

Junior's mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't say anything. Or maybe he didn't want to, cause though he hated to admit it, Lucifer was kind of right. Why did he keep doing this? What was _wrong_ with him?

"Do you understand why this is upsetting to me?" Emma asked. "Do you understand why I'm not ready to just play along and be the nice sister and why I think it's kind of ass-holish of you to just expect it cause it would make things easier for you? You're right that it's wrong to blame Juliette and I suppose in a new baby sort of way, she's kinda cute...but I'm just not ready to bond with her right now like I originally thought I would be before I was faced with her directly. Please respect that. And please leave."

There was a long silence and then Junior sighed and nodded. "Right, sure," he said and stepped away. "I think you're right, that might be best. Let me know when you're ready though. My phone is always on and my door is always open. For both you girls. I know it's hard for you to believe that, but it's true."

"Thank you," Emma sighed. "Bye."

"Bye," Sean said and Emma followed him to the door and let him out.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sarah wasn't having better luck with Hannah. "I thought this wouldn't work," she said as Hannah brazenly looked out the curtains of the windows at the front of the house as her mother struggled with the locked front door. "Hannah Bear, let me in!"

"Don't call me that, you Jezebel!" Hannah shouted. "Don't ever call me that again! What makes you think I would possibly have anything to say to you?"

"I just...thought you would want to meet your new little brother, Elliot," Sarah told her. "Please let me in! I just want to put things right!"

"And you thought that bringing undeniable proof of your infidelity would accomplish that?" Hannah replied from behind the closed door. "Are you stupid, or what?"

That was it. That made something change inside Sarah. She adjusted Elliot's sling and then, with her magic, fired a spell that blew the door off its hinges as Hannah looked on in shock.

"It would have been easier to just let me in," Sarah said. "I understand that what I did was wrong and that you're angry and grieving and alone, but what do you hope to gain from it?"

"I don't know!" Hannah cried in frustration. "Why can't I just be angry? And why can't you just be happy in your new life and leave me alone?"

"Fine," Sarah sighed, calming down. "If that's what you want, I'll go for now."

"I do want!" Hannah insisted. "I can't wait to see the back of you! _And_ the kid!"

"Who is it?" Christopher called. "Who are you yelling at? Is it your mother? Don't be an idiot, Hannah. Invite her in! You two need to talk!"

"No, we don't!" Hannah said over her shoulder. "And what makes you think any of it's your business anyway? Why won't you just let me handle this on my own?"

"Cause I think you're doing it all wrong and that if you just give into your anger and let her go, you're gonna regret all the lost time down the road from now," Christopher told her firmly. Then he looked at Sarah.

"Come on in. Don't just stand there in the doorway."

Sarah smiled and gently shouldered Hannah out of the way before making her way into the house. "Thank you, Christopher," she said. "That's very considerate of you."

"I'm not talking to her," Hannah said stubbornly, arms crossed. "I have nothing to say!"

"Fine!" Christopher shouted, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "You can leave. You don't have to be around. But I have lots to say. So that's why I'm letting her in. Okay?"

"Fine," Hannah narrowed her eyes. "Excuse me."

She strode off without another word and Christopher and Sarah looked at one another and sighed as he led her to the living room and offered her a seat on the sofa.

"You know, he's really cute," he remarked about Elliot. "Can I hold him? I promise I'll be careful. Or does he not like people?"

"No, I think you'll be all right," Sarah said and handed Elliot over. She'd never thought about how Christopher would deal with children, so it was a surprise. Previously, it had seemed like he would prefer to avoid them all together, but he and her son seemed to get along quite well.

"Sorry about Hannah," Christopher told her. "This...without saying, this is still hard for her, especially since Josh has disappeared and no one knows where he went. He won't answer his phone or anything."

"Well, that's no good," Sarah remarked. "No wonder Hannah is in such a bad mood. Thanks for looking after her so she's not entirely alone, since she won't talk to me or Ellie. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," Christopher told her. "It's my pleasure. And I'm sure she'll come around eventually because you're clearly sorry about what happened, right?"

"Well, if course!" Sarah nodded. "I truly didn't mean to cause her any pain. I had no idea it would affect her this much." She sighed. "Just shows how thoughtless I am."

"You said you didn't mean it, so don't be so hard on yourself," Christopher told her. "And Hannah is a grown woman acting like a toddler, which should _not_ be on your shoulders. You made it clear you know what you did hurt her and you're truly, sincerely sorry. You've done all you could and now it's up to her to decide what she does with it."

"You're very wise," Sarah told him. "Thank you. I know what you're saying is right, but...I don't know how happy I'll be able to be until Hannah forgives me."

"Well, I hope it's more than you think because you deserve that," Christopher told her firmly. "Don't let something that's Hannah's issue eat you alive."

It was at that moment that Elliot began crying, so Christopher handed him to his mother. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked. "Sorry."

"No, I think he just needs a nap. You're fine," Sarah said.

"Let me walk you to the door," Christopher offered. "I'll get it for you. I could even drive you home if you wanted."

"Sure," Sarah smiled, even though she was still troubled about Hannah. "Thank you. That would be nice."

"You're welcome," Christopher told her. He was probably overcompensating for Hannah's bad behavior, but he wasn't sorry. Sarah needed the goodwill and he was more than happy to provide it.

* * *

After enduring all this frustration, Sean and Sarah called the daughter they knew they could count on not to be mad at them and explained what happened.

"Oh, that's rough," Ellie said, her guilt kicking in again, despite her not wanting it to. "That's a long day. Want me to take the twins again? We got along really well last time."

"Is that all right with Lucifer?" Sarah asked. "I don't want to do anything that would inconvenience him."

"He'll be fine with it," Ellie assured her. "It's no trouble at all."

* * *

But it was, as she soon found out. As she fussed over the twins, Lucifer complained and made sure she heard every word.

"These aren't even your children so why are you fussing over them so much?" He said. "I know you don't love motherhood as much as your own mother does and just accept having my children as part of the consequences of all the miles we put on our mattress."

"Well, they kind of grow up too fast for me to develop any real deep motherly feelings," Ellie reminded him as she cuddled Juliette. "Plus, remember that I didn't grow up normally. I didn't have time to sow all my wild oats, so...can you blame me for not always being super enthusiastic about grown up things? And finally, who has time to always mother babies when both you and I know you need me to maintain any kind of emotional stability? I know this. That's why kids aren't exactly the highest on my list: it's either you or them and given your needs, we know who's gonna win out between the optional baby and existing husband. And I don't want to put a kid through that. I already wonder sometimes if the kids we have feel like I'm ignoring them and if it's been detrimental at all."

Lucifer scoffed. "Thank you for coming out and saying that I'm such a big burden to you," he spat. "Was it a lie every time you said you loved me? Were you just giving me lip service?"

"No!" Ellie said. "I love you, but...sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in you. I need some time for myself every once in a while."

"Fine, go and take it!" Lucifer said. "But if you go out that door, don't think of coming back, since you don't even want to be here anyway!"

"I do and I will come back once I've rested!" Ellie told him. "I'll take the twins and go to my parents'. That way we won't bother you."

"Seriously?" Lucifer asked. "You're actually gonna leave? Did you _not_ hear what I said about not being allowed to come back?"

"Yeah, but that's what you told Angelica when she left to go to Sam's too and we see her still," Ellie pointed out. "It's an empty threat, cause we both know you need me too much to keep it."

"You think you just know everything, don't you?" Lucifer made a face, his dark eyes becoming red.

"I don't know everything," Ellie shook her head. "But I know enough about _you_ to know I'm right in this case."

"How long are you gonna be gone?" Lucifer asked.

"Why does it matter if I can't come back?" Ellie questioned.

"Never mind," Lucifer shook his head. "Just take the children and get out!"

"Fine," Ellie said. "I will. And when I come back, we're gonna start specifically planning when we have kids, cause I had more kids in the span of what...a year? A year and a half? Than an animal normally does and that pattern cannot and _will_ not continue."

She then got the twins and left, and once she was gone, he strode to Dexter's room, and seeing the door closed, made sure to knock so he didn't have to scratch out his eyes because he saw Dexter and Valerie in an embarrassing position...again. "You alone?" He called. "We need to talk!"

A few seconds later, the door opened. "Sure," Dexter replied. "Are you okay?"

"Eleanor and I had a spat," Lucifer replied as he went to sit on Dexter's bed. "You know, I don't think she likes bearing my children as much as she says she does and that hurts!"

"Well she's never actually _chosen_ when to have children," Dexter replied. "All of them have just happened. Maybe if you planned better and she was actually ready for them when it was time to take that pregnancy test, she'd feel better about it. Maybe you two should just take a break with the kids for now."

"You're not asking me to be celibate," Lucifer said, standing up quickly as his eyes widened in horror. "Dexter, that's cruel!"

"I don't think you'll need to go that far, but this whole 'having children' issue is something you need to think about," Dexter told him. "Miss Ellie is remarkably patient with you. She asks for so little in return for what she gives. This is a specific issue she's brought to your attention and you should honor that instead of just automatically taking offense and making her problems all about you. Incidentally, it's that exact habit that makes her hold things in for so long she has to go hide out in the River of Sorrow to deal with them. If you could just sometimes let things be about her and not you, I think it would be better for everyone."

"Well, if it isn't 'Let's all be critical of Lucifer Day'" Lucifer sighed. "Fine. I still don't think she's being fair, but I'll think about it."

"Good," Dexter told him. "Have you seen Valerie?"

"No," Lucifer shook his head and strode to Dexter's door. "But if I see her, I'll let her know you're looking for her."

* * *

While Ellie watched the twins, and both Sarah and Junior recovered from their emotionally draining day, Junior suddenly remembered something...something that would make it a much better evening. He ran to his side of the closet and grabbed his medical bag where, in one of the side pockets, was a diamond ring he was planning to give to Sarah. He took it out, put on a black leather jacket, and put the ring in one of the inner pockets before going back to the living room.

"Wanna go for a ride on my motorcycle?" He asked Sarah. "It's still in good shape and I remember that you like the wind in your hair."

"Okay," Sarah nodded and followed him out. "What a lovely surprise!"

Junior paused by the door and took her bare hand, studying it before kissing her fingers, all the while thinking just how good that ring would look when she put it on.

He must've been smiling cause Sarah cleared her throat and asked, "What's on your mind? Would you like to share with the class?"

"Oh, you'll find out eventually," He said, grabbing her and kissing her soundly. "You want to check on the twins one last time before we go, or...?"

"Nope, Ellie's got them. She's in their room right now," Sarah said, then called to her daughter over her shoulder because she knew for sure the babies weren't napping. They never did at this time of night. "We're going, Ellie Bean! Don't know when we'll be back or what we're doing, exactly, but eventually we'll return!"

After Ellie responded, they went on their way, Sarah feeling very glad she'd zapped on a pair of jeans before they headed out the door. Dresses were pretty, but they weren't always comfortable when riding a motorcycle.

Sean took her into the garage and pulled the oil cloth off the bike. "Ta-da," he said with a smile. "Remember this?"

"Oh, yes," Sarah grinned and stroked the leather seat. "You know, I still feel as I touch this that Daddy's gonna come barging in here and yell at me for doing something reckless and bad by sitting on it."

"Well, does that mean you're not?" Sean asked.

"Oh, no, I am," she assured him with a grin, putting one leg on either side and sitting firmly before reaching for the helmet. "That's what makes it fun!"

Sean helped her put the helmet on and when it was firmly squished on her head and buckled, he opened the garage door, got in the driver's seat, and soon, the motorcycle roared to life and sped off.

Initially, Sarah grabbed onto him and held on for dear life, to the point where he began to worry that he was going too fast, so he slowed down. Then, he heard her shout.

"Why did you slow down?"

"Cause I thought you wanted me to," he shouted back. "Isn't that why you're squeezing me so hard?"

"No, that's just because I want to," Sarah replied, her hand creeping under his jacket. He held in his breath as her fingers got close to the pocket with the ring in it, but he breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't find it early.

They drove and shouted happily into the wind while Sarah wondered just what was going on. Sean finally parked the motorcycle by a tree next to a path up a cliff, took her hand, and asked her to follow him.

"What are we doing, Sean?" She asked. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he replied with a smile.

"If we're going up a cliff, you better hold on to me," she said as they started to make their way up. "I'm not the best climber."

"I won't let you go," he told her. "Don't worry about that."

And he was true to his word, not letting go of her hand one second, even when her stumbles caused them both to fall and get bruised as Sean prayed internally that the ring wasn't damaged. They went at Sarah's pace and after many stops, starts, bruises, scrapes, and cuts, they reached the top of the mountain, granting them an awe-inspiring view of the setting sun and the landscape below.

"It's beautiful," Sarah breathed and went to the edge to stare.

As she was looking at the view, Sean pulled the ring out of his pocket and got down on one knee. "When you're done with that view, I have something else pretty for you to look at."

"Oh?" Sarah asked and turned. "And just what is-?" She paused when she saw the open ring box and how he was positioned and let out a cry. "Sean, what...is that a ring? My god! It's _huge_!"

"Yeah, it's for you," he smiled. "I know I should have given it to you a long time ago, but I was an idiot and didn't. Better late than never though, right? I hope that climb up the mountain, all those stops and starts, and all the cuts and bruises, showed you that I'm finally ready to go the whole way with you. Cause I am. And I know that the ring itself probably doesn't matter as much to you, but I thought you deserved something pretty." He grinned as he saw the tears going down her face, and her big smile. "So...will you do me the honor of taking my name and becoming my wife? Please?"

"Yes!" Sarah burst into tears, got down on her knees and threw her arms around him, kissing him furiously. "Yes, I will! I've been waiting so long for you to ask! This is the best day ever!"

"So...I didn't let you down after all those expectations you had?" He asked after putting the ring on her finger and wiping her eyes with a tissue he had in his jeans pocket.

"No," Sarah sniffled. "No, it was perfect. You couldn't have done it better." She then zapped up a picnic basket and a bottle of wine with two glasses. "What do you say we celebrate?"

"I say I'm up for it," Sean smiled. "You wanna pour or should I?"

"I will," Sarah returned. Then when they both had a full glass, they took them in hand and entwined their arms so that he was drinking out of her glass and she was drinking out of his, then they kissed and put the glasses down for a moment before going to sit on the edge of the cliff and enjoy the end of the sunset.


	32. Saved By An Angel

After his and Emma's encounter in the club parking lot, Michael didn't hear a lot from her, and at first that was fine with him. But after a couple of weeks of nothing, even _he_ began to worry, so he went to check on her. He got into the kitchen where she and a blond young man with spiky hair he'd never seen before were sitting. They were talking. touching, being chummy, and suddenly, he handed Emma a pair of scissors, ran a finger lightly down her arm (which made jealousy fill Michael's body), told her to open them, and then she let out a cry as she cut herself down her arm and a ribbon of blood flowed. Michael was invisible as he watched, but the second he saw blood, he made himself visible, much to the shock of Emma and the boy, and put Emma over his shoulder after giving the boy a good, hard slap so he fell from his chair.

"What is wrong with you!" Emma demanded, face bright red as she got to her feet. "Have you lost your mind? You can't just come in here and hurt people!"

"Oh, right, why should I hurt him when the two of you are doing a perfectly good job of hurting yourselves, apparently," Michael scoffed. "When were you going to mention that you're doing that? If you're hurting because of your mother, you could have told me."

"If I had tried would you have listened?" Emma asked. "You think I'm a silly child with silly problems so can you blame me for thinking that you wouldn't take me seriously if I said anything remotely emotional or meaningful? Do you understand at all why I kept this from you?"

Michael sighed. "Sure, I guess I understand, but that's no excuse to hurt yourself. If you can't talk to me, isn't there someone? Anyone who isn't a spiky blond punk?"

The young man was trying to get to his feet, reaching for Emma's ankle to help himself up. Michael saw his hand inch closer and closer, and he had this image of the guy's hand running up Emma's bare leg. Overcome with jealously, he gave him a swift kick and he fell to the floor again.

"Come on," he ordered, grabbing for Emma's hand as her jaw dropped. "We need to have a talk. But not here."

"I'm not going anywhere other than here with you," Emma shook her head. "You can't make me!"

"I can to," he said. He tried to pick her up and she kicked and hit and squirmed, making it very difficult for him to get a good grip, until a squeeze of her bottom left her so shocked that she resisted for a moment, giving him just enough time to have the upper hand, put her over his shoulder and, with a good hard spank, carry her off to her room for a lecture she more than deserved while doing nothing for her 'friend' that lay still and bleeding on the kitchen floor.

* * *

As he threw Emma on her bed after making his way to her bedroom at Lucifer's (missing seeing his brother entirely) and began shouting at her. "What were you thinking?" He cried. "Who the hell was that, and why was he encouraging you to hurt yourself?"

"He was not!" Emma shouted. "And I'm just...I'm just trying to deal with how I hurt! I was okay before, but then Dad brought his new daughter to meet me and now, now I'm just...I hate everything! And how I cope is none of your damn business!"

Michael listened to this and was beginning to feel pity for her until he saw a bit of a cut peeking out from under the sleeve of the other arm too.

"Oh, geez," he said and grabbed her, trying to get her sleeve up. Emma knew he wanted to see her cuts and did everything she could to stop him, including biting and kicking him in hopes that that would make him let her go.

But finally, he managed to pin her to the bed, and rip off her shirt and slip off her skirt as she swore in protest, in the hopes of finding out the extent of her injuries cause something told him her wounds weren't just on her arms.

When everything was off her but her panties and bra, he got the full scope of her injuries, cuts on her arms, legs, neck, stomach, and everywhere else skin was available. The cuts all had varying degrees of freshness and he wondered just how they stayed where they were since she was a vampire and could heal.

"Why are all these cuts still here?" He asked, lightly touching a fresh cut on her tummy. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"I did a spell to stop myself from healing," Emma told him. "The pain and seeing the cuts makes me forget about Mom. I thought I could cut my wrists and go be with her, but I'm too chicken."

Michael sighed and took Emma in his arms. "I had no idea you were hurting so much and I'm sorry you feel you can't talk to me. But...I'm glad you're chicken. You have so much left to give the world."

"Oh, whatever about the world!" Emma's eyes narrowed as she pushed him away. "You don't care about the world! You just don't want me to die so we can have more sex!"

"Yes, that would be a benefit of you not dying, but it's not the only thing!" Michael told her. "You're too young to die!" He grabbed her hand and ran his fingers over her cuts and kissed down her arms. Then, Emma felt warmth spread over her body and soon the cuts on the spots where his lips had touched her skin had healed.

"Hey!" Emma cried. "How did you _do_ that?"

"Angel powers," Michael replied and pushed her over onto the mattress. "Now let's heal the rest of you."

"No!" Emma's eyes widened. "Not like that, please!"

"Why not?" He asked as he kissed her tummy and his hand crept under her panties. "Doesn't it feel good? If it hurts, I'll stop..."

"Damn you!" Emma cried as he rubbed her and kissed her all over her body to continue healing her cuts. "If I could just ask Uncle Lucifer to send you down to Hell, I'd..."

"Oh, come now, Emma," he chuckled and pushed some of her curly blonde hair out of her eyes as she grabbed his hand and held it so he couldn't touch her. "Is that what you really want?"

"No," Emma scoffed. "But it would sure make things easier cause if you were in Hell, I wouldn't have to look at your stupid handsome face!" She climaxed soon after and then as she was catching her breath, he got serious. "Did you have any of these cuts when we made out in the car?" He asked. "I can't believe I didn't notice them. I'm an idiot, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I had them," Emma said quietly. "Some of them, anyway, in places you couldn't see. That nobody could see. So don't be mad at yourself. You can be mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you," he said, putting a shirt over her and holding her close to his body. "But...I don't like seeing you hurt. Do you suppose...do you suppose you could find other ways to handle it than hurting yourself?"

"I won't hurt myself if you promise not to laugh and actually listen when I tell you my problems. Can you do that?" Emma questioned.

"Yeah," Michael nodded and squeezed her hand, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I can. I promise."

* * *

To Gabriel's disappointment, he still failed to get Lexie to stop her drug habit, but he did get her to promise that she wouldn't have sex with strange men anymore.

"Please don't," he told her. "It's dangerous and I don't want you to be hurt."

"Because that means you fail at your job and will be in trouble with Daddy?" Lexie asked, one side of her mouth up. "Will you stop annoying me with your nagging if I do that?"

"Well, of course!" Gabriel assured her. "It's not hard to figure out."

"Fine," Lexie replied. "Okay, I'll stop having sex with men."

Gabriel didn't wholly believe her, but he decided to leave her for a while in any case because he knew he wouldn't be able to get any further with her.

A few days later, he returned and found her holding onto a pregnancy test and sighing.

"What did I tell you?" He yelled. "You promised me no funny business! You don't even know who the father is, do you?"

"Oh, calm down!" Lexie muttered, sounding only half awake. "It says I'm not pregnant. It was just a scare."

But then Gabriel got a good look at the dark circles under her eyes and grabbed her as she fell forward into his arms and her eyes closed. "I'm sleepy, Gabriel. Help me..."

"Lexie?" Gabriel cried, his eyes wide with alarm before he shut his eyes and silently asked his father what he should do. But then he realized he didn't have time for an answer. If he didn't care for her soon, something bad could happen!

Hoping she wouldn't wake up and fight him before he could get her to a safe location, he put her over his shoulder and carried her to his car, securely setting her in the backseat, taking a deep breath, and then driving off with her to take her somewhere she could get her act together.

* * *

Gabriel thanked his father as he arrived with the unconscious Lexie at a cabin in the woods. He set her down on the only bed in the place, prayed she wouldn't wake, and then tied her wrists and ankles. It wouldn't hold her down forever, but it would at least stop her from running away while he explained a few things.

Then he sat down at the foot of the bed and waited for her to wake up and start screaming, which didn't take very long.

"What the hell?" Lexie cried when her eyes opened and she realized she was tied. "Where am I? What are you doing here? What do you want?"

"You and I need to have a talk," he grinned as she struggled against the ropes. "If you promise not to run, I will untie you."

"You don't scare me!" Lexie said, eyes narrowed. "Guys have given me money to do worse!"

"Oh, I have no doubt," Gabriel said, his eyes narrowed. "And that is precisely one of the reasons why you're here. You have many bad habits, Alexandra, and I am going to help you get over them."

"Don't you 'Alexandra' me!" Lexie cried and spat at him. "And I don't want to get over my bad habits! I like them, so leave me alone!"

He gave her a slap and then took her face in one of his hands so that she was looking in his eyes. "I will _never_ leave you alone!" He said. "Not until you stop this behavior. You're too good for this. If you're upset, you can talk to me. Drugs and sex won't help anything."

"Oh, shows what you know!" Lexie said the best she could and then spat

Gabriel winced and let her go. "You're disgusting!" He cried.

Lexie smiled and then gave a wicked chuckle. "You get grossed out so _easily,_ don't you?" She then began to wince and squirm. "Untie me!" She ordered. "I have to pee!"

"Well, I don't know," he said. "You could just be trying to play a trick on me!"

"Do you really want to take that chance?" Lexie asked. Then she squirmed again. "I promise I'm not! Just please let me out!"

Gabriel untied her and she ran into the bathroom and peed, then left and sat down on the bed. "Just in time," she said. "You're lucky."

"Yes, it would have been horrifying if you hadn't gotten to the bathroom in time," Gabriel sighed.

Then Lexie handed him the ropes. "If you wanna tie me up again, I'm into it," She smiled. "You wouldn't happen to have any money on you, would you? I know you won't give me drugs."

"No, I will not!" Gabriel told her.

"Then how are you gonna deal with the withdrawal?" Lexie asked. "It's not pleasant and you have to help me deal if you want me to stop!"

"Of course, that's exactly why I'm here," he told her. "Don't worry, we'll think of something." He sat down beside her and tried to think of something that wasn't drugs, but would help with her addiction, because as much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right: he couldn't just take all of it away from her and hope she'd get better. Then he got an idea.

He got a knife and cut his wrist. "Drink this," he told her. "It should help you."

"It's just blood," Lexie said. "How will that help?"

"I don't know precisely, but angel blood is powerful stuff," Gabriel pointed out. "What would it hurt to try it?"

"Okay," Lexie said and grabbed his wrist, gently and leisurely licking the blood off his wrist and then swallowing some more as Gabriel's breathing picked up and he felt himself get aroused. Dad help him. "Does it work?" He asked, trying not to wince. "Please don't tell me you're gnawing on me for no reason."

"Oh, it works," Lexie said, a grin on her face as she flopped back onto the bed. "I feel so good now. So warm, so nice...it's like downers. Floaty and warm and wonderful."

"So you'll stay without me having to tie you down?" He grinned.

"If you keep giving me your blood, I'll do whatever you want," she said. "But just to keep up appearances, I'm gonna keep fighting with you. You like that, you know it."

"I don't," He told her.

"Yeah, you do," she said and gave him a punch in the gut. He pulled her hair and pinched her before she hit him with a pillow, and then he grabbed her and kissed her soundly before letting her fall back onto the mattress, her eyes wide with shock, as he got up to go make himself some food.


	33. Making A Move

"Oh, dear _god!"_ Roxie groaned as Noah swanked into the Underground. He'd taken over the leadership of it from his father and she was _not_ pleased.

"Be nice," Vince said, coming up behind her and nibbling on her ear. "He's kind of your boss now."

"I know that but why does he have to be such a jerk?" Roxie complained. "I miss his dad and that's saying something, considering that I thought Lucifer was gonna murder me once."

"Roxie," Noah remarked as he took a seat at a bar stool. "Martini, and make it snappy."

"You know the magic words, don't you?" Roxie asked through gritted teeth, which made Noah grin.

"I would say 'You're fired' are pretty magical words, don't you agree?" He asked. She growled at him, made his drink, and then went to call her mother about what the most subtle and painful way to kick someone's ass was.

Vince followed her and grabbed her arm. "Just...take a deep breath. It'll be all right." He gave Roxie a push back to the bar, where Noah grinned at her.

"You know, you're kinda pretty," he said. "Wanna come to my house for a little...one on one?" He winked. "I'm very good, I promise. You can ask any of the girls here. They'll vouch for me."

"No, thanks," Roxie said, her hand balling into a fist which she kept at her side. "I'm married." She then turned to Vince, whose eyes were wide, and came over to throw herself in his arms. Because they were a bit away, she spoke.

"See, I told you he was terrible. Can I punch him now?"

"No, but you can call your mother before _I_ punch him and get you fired," Vince replied, his dark eyes black and stormy.

"Good," Roxie nodded. "Will do." She grabbed her phone out of her purse and went into a storage room to talk to her mother privately.

"What's going on?" Selina asked after she answered. "Everything okay?"

"What's the most subtle way to kick someone's ass?" Roxie questioned. "I really need to know this information."

"Why?" Selina wanted to know. "Whose ass are you planning on kicking?"

"Noah's," Roxie answered through clenched teeth. "He hit on me. _Again_. And this time, Vince was standing right in his sight. The kid's got a lot of gall."

There was a silence on her mother's end of the line so long that she thought Selina had hung up on her. Then, her mother finally spoke. "I know this is something you don't want to hear, and this will probably be a shock coming from me, but...since he's Lucifer's kid, don't act out against him physically and obviously. Grit your teeth, spit in his drink, and if it gets bad enough, tell Lucifer and Ellie what's going on and I'm sure they'll deal with him."

"Well, I don't know about that cause they haven't been coming in a lot, but that 'spitting in his drink' idea sounds promising," Roxie remarked. "Thanks for the idea. And speaking of people who haven't come by in a while, when are you gonna make an appearance? We haven't needed to buy new rum bottles for way too long."

"You know, you're right," Selina remarked. "Dorian's going out with Eric tonight for some manly bonding or something so it would not be hard for me to stop by. Anything special happening?"

"Not specifically, but you showing up will be pretty special," Roxie told her. Then she said, "We're gonna be using CDs for music tonight since Sam and Leslie are gonna spend the night with Sammy and Angelica. Something weird's going on with him, apparently, and poor Angie's at the end of her rope."

"Poor girl," Selina told her. "All right. I think I'll make my way to the club now."

"Want me to have a rum and Coke waiting for you?" Roxie asked.

"Yeah," Selina told her. "Of course! Thanks!"

After Roxie hung up the phone, she grinned and took a deep breath. She felt better now that backup was coming. She then headed back to the bar where Vince and Noah were giving each other a death stare.

"Go down and get some more vodka," she said and gave Vince a push. "We're almost out."

"All right," Vince sighed and reluctantly stepped away. "I'll go and take care of that."

"Nice," Noah grinned and reached out to gently stroke the back of her hand with one of his fingers. "Way to get the killjoy out of the way so we can be alone."

"You know, my mother is coming to visit the club tonight," Roxie told him. "And I'm sure she would love to see you and have a chat."

Noah's eyes widened and he stepped back from her. Though not much had the power to make him back down, he was well aware of the reputation Roxie's mother had, and even though she couldn't actually kill him, if she thought he was causing trouble, she could still make him hurt. That's what had brought her to his father's attention in the first place. "That...that's nice your mother's coming," he said. "She's not been around for a bit, has she?"

"No," Roxie grinned. "But luckily, she was able to make time. You can finally see her in person!" She waited until he finished his martini and grinned. "Want another one?" She asked. "Let me do it for you."

"Well, thank you, sweetheart," he told her and pushed it toward her.

She then waited until he was deep in conversation with a female patron, turned her back on him, made the drink, and spit in it a little before turning back to him, handing it over, and trying hard not to laugh as she watched him drink it.

* * *

She had even more cause for joy when Selina finally showed up. "All right," her mother said, "Where is he? You know, I've never actually met him in person?"

"That's probably because the thought of you makes him wet himself with fear although he'd never admit it out loud," Roxie replied, mixing up her mother's usual rum and Coke and handing it to her. "He ran to the bathroom a few minutes ago, but I'm sure he'll be out soon. Oh, and if you really want a laugh, don't introduce yourself until he tries to hit on you, because I'm sure he will."

"Seriously?" Selina scoffed.

"Yeah," Roxie nodded and leaned her elbows on the bar. "Guy hits on anything that moves. He'd probably go to bed with the kitchen sink if it put on a tutu."

"You say such strange things sometimes," Selina told her and took a pull from her drink.

"Is that too strong?" Roxie wanted to know. "I mean, I know you have a high tolerance, but does that taste okay?"

"Yes," Selina grinned. "It's just wonderful."

"Good," Roxie smiled as Noah approached the bar. "Now get ready for the show."

It didn't take long for Noah to notice Selina, take a seat on the empty bar stool next to her, and say, "It's a shame you already have a drink, cutie, because I was all set to get you one."

"Yeah," Selina nodded and gave a loud, unladylike burp that caused Noah to make a disgusted face. "A real shame."

"I'll buy you your next one," Noah offered. "And any ones after that." He then reached out and put a hand on her exposed thigh.

"Noah, meet my mother," Roxie got out. "Mom, this is Noah. And his hands."

"What?" Noah got out, his jaw dropping as he looked at the innocent looking woman with the big blue eyes who seemed like she couldn't hurt a fly. "This _can't_ be your mother! You're _lying_ to me!"

"Why can't it be?" Roxie asked. "Don't we look enough alike?"

"Well, yeah," Noah nodded. "But seriously...she doesn't look like she could hurt _anyone_!"

"Oh, but do you want me to show you how I can?" Selina questioned, her blue eyes flashing. "You don't move your hand from my thigh and you _will_ find out!"

Noah chuckled and moved his hand. "Okay, okay," he said. Now that he'd seen the infamous Lonely Heart, he was more intrigued than afraid. How had she inspired such fear that the vampire community wouldn't even speak her name? What had made his father so interested? He didn't just corrupt for no reason, so there was probably some pretty dark stuff going on in there.

"How do you know my dad?" He asked. "We should find a cozy booth and talk about this."

"If you want to know that stuff, talk to your dad directly," Selina replied. "I'm past that point in my life. I don't talk about it anymore."

This was untrue and in fact, there was still a part of her that reveled in the fact that her reputation as the most prolific killer in the vampire world still stood, even if not everyone knew it was her specifically. But she didn't want to talk to Noah anymore. Roxie was right. He _did_ deserve a kick in the ass.

But luckily for him, before she could do anything, another pretty girl came up and asked him to dance and, since he wasn't getting anywhere with Selina and Roxie, he got up and went with her, leaving the other women to breath a sigh of relief and go back to their drinks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Emma was at the club too. Although she made no apologies for her attempts to make herself feel better, she thought that maybe Michael had a point about how cutting herself wasn't the best way, so she tried something else: dance. As she shook and shimmied to the loud music, with attractive men all around her and vying for her attention, she felt very free. This had been a good idea.

But then arms closed around her waist and she felt someone rub up against her. She opened her eyes, did a graceful turn, and growled, giving Michael a push. "I should have _known_ it would be you!" She said. "Don't you have better things to do than stalk me? I'm not hurting myself, so you can leave me alone!"

"Oh, I don't think so," Michael said, giving various members of her adoring throng a push. "I don't think it's good for you to be around so many strangers. You could be hurt!"

"If that's not the _dumbest_ thing I have ever heard!" Emma shouted. "Why would you say that?" She paused, a grin slowly curving her lips as she realized. "Are you jealous?"

"Would it matter if I was?" he asked.

"No, but I like the idea," she grinned. "An Angel of the Lord jealous about me...how thrilling!" She then pushed him away and made her way to the bar.

"Next time that guy comes near me, will you break it up?" She asked Roxie.

"Why?" Roxie wanted to know. "I thought you'd like him. He's not bad looking. In fact, I was the one who told him to go dance with you in the first place."

"Ah," Emma nodded. "That explains it. No, see...he and I have issues and I'm kind of trying to avoid him."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Roxie replied. "I didn't know. What difficulties? Did he hurt you?"

"No, he's actually been...good, but he's been trying to get me to work through how my mom died and I just...I'm not ready to do it his way, you know? That's all it is."

"I'm so sorry about your mom," Roxie apologized. "When my kids were first born, I thought I lost my son. It sucks. Anything I can do?"

"Just keep the daiquiris coming," Emma told her. "That would do me a lot of good."

After a few more drinks, she decided to go back to the dance floor. She was surrounded by a crowd for a short while but then time and space seemed to shift around her and when it all became still again, she found herself in Michael's arms as slow music surrounded them and they swayed back and forth. They were alone in the club.

"Where did everyone go?" She whispered, her head on his chest. "Why are we all alone?"

"I thought it would be better this way," Michael said, inhaling the scent of her hair and kissing the top of her head as his hands moved to cup her bottom. She then began to play with his hair as he rested his head on her shoulder. "I brought us a few hours into the future. I can do that, you know."

Emma didn't know how to respond to that, so she just kept quiet and swayed.

"See, this isn't so bad, is it?" He asked. He was no longer sure where he began and she ended. Then the music stopped and she tried to pull away.

"I have to go to the bathroom," she said. "Please let me go."

"I'm going with you," he declared stubbornly. "Who knows what you'll do in there?"

"I'm going to pee!" Emma frowned. "What else could I do?"

"Lots of things," Michael replied. "So let's go."

Emma rolled her eyes as he marched her into the ladies room and waited outside her stall, and when she emerged, he said, "You know, you look awfully pretty in that dress."

"What will you say next?" Emma wanted to know. "That it'll look even prettier draped over a chair next to your bed?"

"I don't know why you keep being so antagonistic toward me," Michael said, reaching out to take her hand after she washed it. "I really do just want to help." He massaged her palm with his thumb and Emma did her best to ignore the sensations this brought on, but soon, it became too much and she pulled Michael to her, kissing him deeply, repeatedly. They then locked themselves in the large stall where he pulled up her dress and pulled down her panties, giving her a good rub as she shut her eyes and tried to control her breathing.

"Holy moly," she whispered.

Then, realizing that maybe he'd gone too far too fast, for the first time in his life, Michael backed off.

"I wanna kiss you now," he told her. "Please."

She nodded and traced his bottom lip with her finger. He had such lovely lips. They looked into each other's eyes as their faces inched closer and he cupped her chin with his hand, kissing her ever so gently, just the barest touch of his lips to hers.

She then let out a growl and pulled him to herself, squeezing his bottom and kissing him hungrily, devouring him, actually. Letting her demon face show freely for a moment, just to see what he would do. He froze, drew a sharp breath, and then, instead of running away in fright or whatever, he just held her and kissed her back.

"You don't scare me," he told her. "I've seen much worse, trust me. If you want to scare me off, you'll have to try harder than that."

She grinned as he picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as they continued to kiss. She even nibbled on him a little. She liked the taste of his blood. It was nice.

As the temperature of the room rose around them and their breaths picked up, he finally let her down.

"What, you're stopping now?" Emma asked in surprise as her feet touched the floor and she grabbed her panties, which she'd tossed away when he'd lifted her, thinking they were gonna go all the way and not wanting to waste time. "This is a surprise."

"I know, I'm shocked too," Michael told her. "But this is a _bathroom_ , for crying out loud. The car is probably the least nice place I would do you in. Next time, it's gonna be my bed."

"How do you know there'll _be_ a next time?" Emma asked.

"There will be," Michael told her. "And we're kidding ourselves if we think otherwise."

* * *

Though Gabriel had lulled Lexie into a false sense of security with the angel blood, she soon found out that that was temporary and he started giving her less and less every day until she became grouchy and sick, yelling and swearing and just generally being very unpleasant, and even trying to gnaw on him when she thought he wasn't paying attention.

"What are you doing?" He asked, pushing her away after one of those times. "I'm gonna get you something to eat so you have your mouth full and don't bite me!"

But when he came back, he had oatmeal in his hand, which made Lexie underwhelmed. "Seriously?" She asked. "Oatmeal?"

"Oh, just eat it!" Gabriel sighed and shoved the bowl at her.

She put some on the spoon and stuck it in her mouth, then a wicked twinkle shown in her eye. She spit it out all over him, and dumped the bowl on herself.

"Oops," she told him with a grin. "Guess I need a shower!"

"Fine, go take one," Gabriel said. "I'll clean myself up after you."

Lexie just shook her head. "But that would be a waste of water. Don't you care about the environment at all? We should shower together."

"No, thank you," Gabriel replied. "It goes against my job as your guardian angel to get involved with you that way."

"I bet your brother would," Lexie said."Just my luck I get stuck with the _prudish_ one!"

"Bathroom," Gabriel barked. "Now!" He _hated_ it when people called him prudish and boring. It wasn't his fault. It was just how he was and the world needed all kinds of people. He marched her into the bathroom and turned the water on.

"Okay, clothes off, now!" He continued.

Lexie grinned and stripped as she tried to seduce him. "You know, it's kinda hot, you ordering me around like this," she said as she came toward him and pulled him close. "Are you trying to get me hot? Cause I like it."

"No, that's not what I am trying to do," Gabriel shook his head, keeping his voice steady, although a twitching muscle in his cheek betrayed how he really felt. "All I want is for you to take a shower!"

"Which I will _not_ do unless you take it with me!" Lexie crowed. "Why won't you do it? Are you afraid? Is it because you've never had sex? Are you a _virgin_ , Gabriel?"

He flushed. "That has nothing to do with anything. Now I insist you get under the water." He gave her a push under the spray and not long after, he heard a scream and a thump.

"Alexandra?" He called nervously. "Are you all right? Are you injured? Do you need help?"

"Oh, it hurts!" She cried weakly. "I slipped and hurt my ankle! Help me please, cause I can't get up!"

He paused for a moment, thinking that it might be a trick. But his promise to his father wouldn't let him ignore a cry for help, even if it _was_ just a trick. "I'm coming in," he told her. "Just hold on. It'll be all right!" He stripped down to his boxers and opened the shower door, ignoring the water that sprayed everywhere, but frowning when Lexie, perfectly fine, pulled him close against her body.

"I knew that would get you in here," she said. "Why don't you take your boxers off? You'll be more comfortable."

"No, thank you," he said as water soaked him. "I prefer to leave some parts of myself protected around you."

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad," Lexie replied with a grin. "Let me show you." She braced him against the wall of the shower and peeled off his boxers. She then covered a wash cloth with soap and began to wash him.

"Good?" She asked. "It's good, isn't it?"

"It's not so bad," he admitted. Then she got between his legs and he thought about telling her to stop, but it didn't feel so bad as he had feared it would. She washed his inner thighs and began slowly and gently touching him as their lips met in a kiss.

Gabriel let the kiss go on longer than Lexie thought it would before he moved his head and she found herself looking at his neck instead. That didn't matter to her. It looked good to nibble on.

She bit down gently and heard him make a noise in his throat as he threaded his fingers through her hair and she licked off the extra blood off his wound with her tongue.

"Did that hurt?" She asked.

"No, not really," Gabriel whispered, and then they both fell as he climaxed.

"What was that?" He asked, eyes wide.

"You just climaxed," she told him. "It's nothing bad."

"Are you sure?" Gabriel questioned. "It _felt_ like a problem!"

"It's not," Lexie repeated, getting to her knees and running her hands down his bare chest. "Now just relax, okay?"

"Okay," Gabriel nodded. Now that he'd had his first climax, nothing she was doing felt bad. It felt good, actually. He closed his eyes, his face out from under the spray as she straddled him and felt him go inside her.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "What do I have to do now?"

"Nothing," she smiled, taking his face in her hands as she rode him hard. "Just let me do it all."

"Okay," Gabriel lay back and let out a laugh. Now he understood why Michael and Lucifer always ran off. To do _this_! He didn't blame them. Not that he would make a habit of it himself. But every once in a while, he might. Maybe.


	34. It's Your Move

"Sarah!" Junior said as he approached his wife and children who had come to meet him at the hospital and took one of the twins' carriers. "I didn't forget about the twins' doctor appointment today. I'm all ready." He looked down at Juliette. "I hope he's gentle with her. She's so fragile!"

"Oh, she's not, actually," Sarah said. "She's much pushier than her brother, even. Every time I start to take care of him, she's making little noises to get my attention. I guess she's decided she doesn't want to be taken advantage of anymore."

"Are you pushy?" Junior grinned down at his daughter. "You're not pushy, are you? You're too cute!"

"It's the cute ones that are the pushiest," Sarah scoffed.

"You sound like you speak from experience," Junior gave her a wry grin as Sarah rolled her eyes.

They then headed to the car and began the drive to the small doctor's office where the twins were having their checkups. At the last appointment, the doctor had said there was something unusual about the twins, and this appointment, they would find out just what the man meant by that.

"What do you think he means about the twins being unusual?" Sarah asked and grabbed Junior's hand as they sat in the parking lot. "Do you think they'll be okay?"

"Of course," Junior nodded and kissed her hair. "After all they've already been through, nothing seems wrong. I'm sure they'll be fine."

"Right," Sarah nodded after giving a sniffle. "Of course. I trust you." But she stayed in the car with the babies, refusing to come out. Junior literally had to go in, get the doctor, and have him do the checkup in the car.

"It's really gonna be okay," he told her. "The twins seem fine. You would never know they had such an exciting beginning."

"All right, but what's the thing that is wrong with them?" Sarah asked, panic welling up in her voice again. "You said there was something wrong!"

"Not wrong," the doctor corrected. "Just different. You and Sean were intimate with demons prior to the twins' conception, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Sarah burst out, trying not to sound defensive but failing. "Josh and Maeve were good people!"

"I'm not saying they weren't," the doctor tried to calm her. "But that...that experience put a bit of demon in you and him both so the twins, like demons, will have a sped up growing process just like demons do. Not as fast, I don't think. But you won't have to wait so long to have big kids."

"Well, thanks for telling us," Junior told him.

"What a relief!" Sarah added. "I thought it would be something much worse!" She paused. "If you still have to look at them, I'll bring them into your office now."

"Thank you," the doctor smiled. "I would prefer that."

They got through the appointment without any more trouble from Sarah, but as they left, Sean could still tell the news about the bit of demon in the twins had rattled his wife. "Are you gonna be okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she nodded. "But it's...we didn't ask for this, you know? It's gonna be a constant reminder of the bad stuff we did in addition to the _other_ constant reminders. It's not fair, is it?"

"No, it's not," Junior agreed and cuddled Elliot, which irritated Juliette and led to a bunch of angry squeaking and so much squirming that Sarah nearly dropped her.

"No, you don't!" Sarah cried, getting her grip just in time. "Don't you dare."

* * *

They got in the car and drove home, where they were met by Ellie, who smiled, took the twins, and said her parents should have some time alone. "Or do you have to be back at the hospital?" She wanted to know.

"No, I took the rest of the day off, so I'm free," Junior told her.

"Good, then you can propose and give Mom the giant ring you're keeping in your medical bag," Ellie burst out. "And yes, I did look."

"Oh, he already gave me that," Sarah showed it to her. "We just were waiting for the right time to tell you."

"That's great!" Ellie cried. "I no longer have to bear the sting of illegitimacy!"

"When did you have to bear it at all?" Sarah asked. "Did anyone ever give you trouble?"

"Well, no, but it's just...nice to have the gang all together," Ellie said, hugging both her parents after they put the twins down. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Ellie Bean," Junior told her.

"Yeah," Sarah agreed and ruffled her hair. "Thank you."

* * *

"You know, Ellie Bean, it's so sweet of you to watch the twins as much as you have," Sarah told Ellie a few days later as as Ellie struggled to cuddle with both babies. "But you deserve a break. Why don't you go out, take a drive, have some ice cream. Or something. Maybe not ice cream cause it's a little nippy. Bring a jacket."

Ellie handed her Elliot, put Juliette in her carrier next to the sofa, and sighed. "I know that's code for 'You've been hogging my kids and I want you to go home to your husband'," she said. "Fine, I won't stay where I'm not welcome."

"I didn't say you weren't welcome," Sarah assured her. "Of course you can stay here. I just...I want you to have a life! You don't need to earn your keep by being the eternal babysitter."

"Fine, I'll go out," Ellie snapped. "But I _am_ coming back!" She grabbed her coat and as she made her way to the door, the doorbell rang. She automatically opened it and felt herself be grabbed in a bear hug and kissed soundly as her nostrils were invaded by the scent of the ironically named Straight to Heaven cologne that Lucifer had been wearing for a while. She inhaled deeply, then looked up at him, narrowed her eyes, and stepped back to maintain her composure.

"Yes?" She asked after clearing her throat. "Can I help you? And if you're trying to make me come back home, it won't work."

"I thought not," Lucifer told her. "So..." He held two things out to her. "Here is some cologne for you to put on your pillow so you don't miss me too much, and also...I know you won't come home yet, but...I thought a karaoke night might be fun." He handed her a fancy invitation. "Wanna duet on 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'?"

"No," Ellie shook her head, eyes narrowed as she snatched the invitation out of his grip and stuck it in her brown leather purse. "I'll probably be too worn out from singing 'I Hate Myself For Loving You'."

"Oh, that can't be the song you sing!" Lucifer told her. "I'll make sure you pick something else."

"You do and I'll make sure your dad and Gwen are invited!" Ellie shot back. "In fact, I'll probably just invite them anyway!"

"What's all this shouting?" Sarah asked and then she saw the visitor. "Lucifer! How lovely to see you! Do you want to stay for dinner? Eleanor, how about you help me with it?"

"Oh, don't be silly," Lucifer told her. "You're so busy with the children that you shouldn't have to cook for me. Eleanor and I will cook for _you_!"

"Since when will we do that?" Ellie asked. "Besides, I'm not even supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be out getting fresh air!"

"Well that was until your husband arrived," Sarah said. "And you shouldn't just abandon a guest."

"But I-" Ellie pouted. "Fine."

"Ladies first," Lucifer grinned and gestured for her to precede him into the kitchen.

"Oh, no, _you_ go first," Ellie insisted and pushed him ahead of her.

"All right," Lucifer nodded. "You must be eager for a look."

"Oh, geez!" Ellie rolled her eyes as they walked to the kitchen. "Stop shaking your butt!"

"Why?" Lucifer replied, laughter in his voice. "I'm just trying to give you a view you can appreciate!"

"And eventually I _will_ come home and appreciate it, okay?" Ellie told him. "Just not now!"

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to speed that process along?" Lucifer asked.

"Stopping the nagging might help," Ellie replied as they reached the kitchen. "Now, what do you want to make?"

"I'll do most of the work and you can be my beautiful assistant and hand me things," Lucifer told her. "Won't that be fun?"

"Oh, all right," Ellie nodded and pouted, even though this was a better plan because he was a good cook and she was not. "Whatever."

"You keep pouting and I'm gonna have to kiss those pretty lips of yours," Lucifer told her as he got out cookbooks and cutlery. "Just something to think about."

It took lots of work and lots of Lucifer lifting the much tinier Ellie up to the high cabinets so she could get ingredients but eventually, they put together a roast chicken and some ratatouille Nicoise because Lucifer felt that Sarah could use the vegetables.

"This looks wonderful!" Sarah said, sitting down at the table just as Junior got home from work. "Look, Sean! Ellie and Lucifer made us dinner!"

"Oh, you have no idea how wonderful it is to smell cooked food when you walk through the door after a long day!" Junior replied and collapsed in his chair. "I could use the nourishment!" He looked at his daughter and her husband. "Thank you very much, you two."

"Lucifer did more of the work," Ellie said. "I was just the lovely assistant."

"Well, now how could I have gotten the ingredients put in the food without my lovely assistant, hmmm?" Lucifer questioned. "You did well."

"I hope you made enough for the two of you to eat with us..." Sarah said and then trailed off. "Unless you want to have a dinner for two somewhere else."

"No, we're fine here," Lucifer replied. "I like the idea of a nice family dinner. Haven't had many of those."

"Well, dig in," Sarah replied after heaping some vegetables on her plate and passing the bowl around. "Cause it looks delicious."

And as they ate, Lucifer looked at Ellie. "So, are you accepting my invitation to karaoke night?"

"Yes, I am," Ellie replied. "I'm gonna be better at karaoke night than anyone else!"

* * *

"Darling would you mind setting out an extra place for dinner?" Elijah asked Lisa one night. "We have a guest."

"Oh, what kind of guest?" Lisa asked after putting the plate and silverware on the table. Then she groaned. "It better not be someone to be my boyfriend," she sighed. "No more set ups, Daddy. Please."

"No, no, I think you'll be rather proud of me," Elijah grinned. "And if something should happen between you and the person who is coming, that'll be your own doing, not mine. Now, put a nice dress, please. You know we dress for dinner in this house."

Lisa rolled her eyes and made her way to her room, but as she passed the front door, the doorbell rang.

"Get that, would you please, dear?" Elijah called.

"Fine," Lisa sighed and zapped herself into a blue dress, opening the door, and shutting it again when she saw Lee on the other side in a royal blue suit that coincidentally matched her dress. She then opened it again to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "What are you doing here?" She whispered angrily. "Are you crazy?"

"I was invited!" Lee whispered back.

"Who the hell would invite you here?" Lisa asked. "Now leave, before my dad..."

"Lee!" Elijah cut her off. "So glad to see you, my boy. Lisa, invite him in. Get him a drink. Where are the manners I know I raised you to have?"

"They're absent because I'm currently ticked off," Lisa replied. "But just give me a minute and I'll get him a drink. I have to talk to him first, though."

She pushed him out the door and closed it behind her. "I know dad invited you, but you really didn't have to come."

"Why not?" Lee questioned. "Are you afraid I'll embarrass you in front of your father? If you're worried that he'll murder me, I'm touched you care that much about my safety."

"I don't care about you at all," Lisa told him. "I just don't want your murder on my conscience."

"So you like me," Lee smiled. "All clear."

"I do not!" Lisa spat. "I still can't believe my dad invited you here. He's lost his mind."

"We should go inside now," Lee told her. "I really want that drink you should be offering me."

"Fine," Lisa said. "I'm guessing you want wine?"

"A little wouldn't hurt," Lee nodded and they headed inside, making their way to the dining room table, where a bottle of wine and a large roast sat, along with a salad and some mashed potatoes.

"Now that you've finally arrived, who wants to eat?" Elijah asked. "Lee, you can have the first choice of everything!"

"How generous," Lee told him. "Thank you, sir. And I love your black suit!"

"Thank you," Elijah told him and looked him over. "That royal blue is a bit of a bold choice, but it works on you too. Thank you for dressing for dinner."

"Oh, it's my pleasure!" Lee replied.

They then began to eat and in between bites, Lee and Elijah talked about Japanese history and made plans to examine Elijah's collections of swords after eating.

Lisa didn't talk much cause she knew she had to keep her whole attention on Lee, in case he was up to something. She had just fallen into a false sense of security when she felt a hand slide up her leg and thigh and even be so bold as to slip under her panties and give her a rub! And of course since her parents wouldn't do such a thing, it was obvious who the culprit was, even though Lee just continued talking to her father as if he were doing nothing sneaky under his nose and getting away with it.

Lisa tried to maintain a neutral expression but the deep flush in her face was apparent to her mother.

"Honey?" Amy asked. "Are you okay? Are you hot? Do you need some water?"

"Uh...yes!" Lisa got out as she finally slapped Lee's hand away. "And I would like Lee to help me _get_ my water."

"My pleasure," Lee replied as he followed behind her. "Wouldn't want you to have problems and get wet!"

Lisa elbowed him in the gut for this remark and when they were a distance away, she slapped him. "Are you out of your mind doing what you did when my father was right next to you? What if he had caught on?"

"Well, he didn't because you have remarkable self control," Lee told her. "If you were in my bed, you would have been screaming."

"You're horrible," she said. "I can't believe you came here and just intruded like this! And how you thought you could just touch me! It hardly bears thinking about!"

"Oh, stop making a fuss!" Lee ordered. "You and I both know that I want you in my bed and you want me in yours. So I don't see what this complaining is supposed to do. Stop you from feeling bad cause you're having the hots for an evil man? Is that what it's about? Well, you're only gonna make yourself miserable!"

"Shows what you know!" Lisa told him. "I could do this forever with no consequences."

Lee then pulled her close, kissed her soundly, and cupped her bottom and then when he pulled away, he chuckled at her wide-eyed look. "Yes," he said as he gave her a spank and walked away to heed Amy's call about dessert. "I'm sure you could last for a long time just by that look on your face."

Then, as he sat down at the table, another idea came into his head. As Lisa came into the dining room, he grinned and asked Elijah, "May I have your daughter's hand in marriage, sir? I know we haven't known each other very long, but I'm not opposed to long engagements."

Elijah and Amy stared at one another in shock. They, as Lee had expected, were not expecting this. "Well, I, um..." Elijah got out.

"This would be a perfect time to utter that little word 'No'," Lisa told him. "If you wanted to."

"Just let me think about it," Elijah replied, drawn in by Lee's intelligence and fashion sense and worldliness. That could make him a good match for Lisa. "Do you need an answer right this minute?"

"Oh, please take all the time you need," Lee told him. "I'm a very patient man."

Elijah then excused himself as the other three ate their tiramisu in silence, Lisa hoping with all her might that her father would keep his wits about him and say 'No', because Lee was up to something, and she was sure that whatever it was would be something that she wouldn't like one bit.


	35. How To Be Fashionably Late

"It was nice of Ellie to invite us to the karaoke night," Gwen commented as she and Steve got ready for the party. "I would have thought we'd both be considered too old and unhip to party with the young people."

"I probably shouldn't tell you this, but the invite was just as much to make my son angry as it was to give us a good night out," Steve told her as he helped her fasten a necklace around her neck. "I hope that doesn't offend you."

"Oh, of course not," Gwen replied, shaking out her blonde hair. "I've dealt with worse." She turned around and looked Steve over. "It's so different to see you in jeans," she said. "But I like it. You're very approachable. Are you going to sing?"

"Of course, if I can think of the right song," Steve told her. "I hope you do too."

"I might feel silly, but I suppose I could be convinced with the right words," Gwen smiled. They leaned in for a kiss and just as they broke apart, they heard the sound of the front door of the house opening, Pepper barking madly, and Gabriel calling out urgently, desperately.

"Father! Father, we have to talk! I've done something terrible!"

"Oh, dear!" Steve sighed. "I should have known we would see him. I would have thought he'd have enough common sense to work through the problem he's going to tell me about, but apparently not."

"It'll be okay," Gwen replied and took his hand as they made their way to the living room where an antsy, blushing Gabriel bounced back and forth on his heels.

"What is it, son?" Steve asked. "Gwen and I are about to leave for a party."

"Oh," Gabriel said, and then got down on his knees and grabbed his father's hands. "I'm sorry, Father," he said. "I sinned! I've let you down! I'm sorry!"

"If this is about what happened between you and Alexandra, there's no need for you to feel sorry," Steve said firmly. "That's what's meant to happen. You shouldn't feel bad."

"I shouldn't?" Gabriel asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "But I thought I was supposed to be above having such urges, especially with Lexie cause she's my charge!"

"That's true," Steve admitted. "But I also think she'd be good for you in other respects and that you should feel free to have a relationship with her," Steve assured him. "You need to relax, lighten up. She will help you do that."

"Oh," Gabriel nodded. "Okay. If you're sure. I suppose I'll leave then if you have a party to be getting to. I don't want to detain you any longer. Have a good time."

"Thank you," Steve told him. "You find some way to amuse yourself too. Please, I beg of you."

Gabriel nodded and left then as Steve let out his breath. "Thank goodness that didn't last very long," he said and looked at the clock. "We'll actually be able to get there on time. I was afraid we wouldn't."

"Oh, I'm sure no one would be opposed to God being fashionably late," Gwen smiled as they made their way to the door. She couldn't bring herself to wear jeans like Steve was, but she wore a dress with a wild neon flower pattern and that yelled 'Party' enough for her.

"I know," Steve replied. "But I just want to have all the fun I can. Can you blame me?"

"No," Gwen shook her head. "No, I can't."

* * *

Despite Steve insisting to Gabriel that Lexie was his happily ever after and he should just jump into the relationship with both feet, Lexie herself wasn't as sure. Both herself and Emma were having trouble dealing with what they felt for Gabriel and Michael and had decided the best way to deal with it would be to trust only each other and avoid the angels who had stirred up those feelings entirely after Lexie finally convinced Gabriel to bring her back from the cabin.

"You seem better," Emma remarked as she brought some grilled cheese, cookies she'd made, and milk for the two of them to have as a snack. "I'm glad you're better and I finally get to see you, Lexie."

"Yeah, I...I guess I'm learning to deal with everything better now," Lexie agreed and grabbed a sandwich. "How did you do it? How did you get through it all without so much as a peep?"

It was then that Emma showed her sister her scars. "I've been cutting," she said. "I only just stopped."

Lexie's eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. "Oh, geez," she said and gave her sister a hug. "I'm so sorry I didn't notice. I'm so sorry I wasn't here."

"Oh, it's...it's not your fault," Emma got out. "I just...one day at a time, I guess. If we could see Mom, it would really help, you know? But I don't know how that's gonna happen." She sighed.

"Did someone ask for me?" Said their mother's voice. Their jaws dropped as a bright light appeared in the corner of the room and soon their mother stood before them, dressed in camouflage pants, a black tank top, and black boots. "Hi, girls."

Lexie and Emma held onto each other, wide eyed as they stared at the figure in shock. "Do you see what I see?" Emma asked. "Please tell me you see Mom too."

"Yes," Lexie whispered back. "What the hell did you put in those cookies that's making us have hallucinations?"

"Oh, for..." Maeve got out. "I'm not a hallucination! I get to visit and check up on you! Is everything okay? I hear you've been having some trouble. And I...I hope things have been okay with Michael and Gabriel looking after you. I was against it at first, but they don't seem to have done you any harm."

"Yeah, um..." Emma said, avoiding her mother's gaze. "It's fine. Was that you're idea?"

"Heck no," Maeve replied. "If it had been my idea, I definitely would have picked some other angels or whatever, but things seem to be going all right...or at least not as badly as I thought." She then looked at Emma's arms. "What's this?" She asked.

"I've...been having a tough time with you being gone and I've kind of pulled away from Dad and so has Lexie," Emma explained. "We've been coping...other ways. Not necessarily healthy ones, I admit, but...it's almost over with, I swear." She paused. "And it definitely will be if we get to keep seeing you."

"Yeah," Lexie nodded. "How in the world did you manage this?"

"I just asked nicely," Maeve replied. "And it's not permanent, but I think I'll be able to get a few more visits in at least."

They stood in silence and Lexie finally asked, "So how's Heaven? Are you bored?"

"I thought I would be at first," Maeve admitted. "But it's actually very...peaceful. I'm doing all right there. I do basically everything I did here, but I don't have to be at anyone's beck and call, which is wonderful!"

"We're so glad you're happy," Emma told her. "You deserve it!"

"And I hope the two of you can find happiness too," Maeve replied. "I know it hurts, but...it won't do you any good to just dwell on the bad things. I'll always be with you, I promise. You won't be alone."

"All right," Lexie replied. "Thank you, Mom. We know that now."

"And watch those angels like a hawk," Maeve warned, her eyes moving to Emma. "That Michael especially. "Want me to teach you how to punch more effectively before I go? I don't know how much longer I have for this visit."

"It probably wouldn't hurt," Emma said. "Teach Lexie too."

"I don't need it," Lexie said. "I know it better than you do." So she watched while her mother taught her sister some moves and then they all had a group hug just as Maeve began to fade.

"Goodbye, girls," she told them. "Be good. Be happy. I'll see you again soon. Love you!"

The girls waved goodbye to their mother and then collapsed on their bed.

"I don't know what to say," Emma got out when she was gone. "I hope Mom comes back."

"She said she would," Lexie reminded her sister. "She wouldn't lie."

"I hope Mom visits Uncle Lucifer sometime too," Emma mused. "I think he needs it more than we do, even if he wants us to think he doesn't."

* * *

Emma was not wrong about this. Even though Lucifer had seemed to move on past Maeve's death, it was still cutting him very deeply, especially now that he and Ellie were fighting and she wasn't around the house to keep him steady.

Maeve filled his mind in her absence and he didn't quite know how to deal with it. He even avoided Toni and Adrian, the ones who had taken Maeve's place. So Toni was beyond shocked when Lucifer called late one night saying he wanted a meeting.

"Should I go?" She asked Adrian nervously. "What if it's about something bad? I'm so terrified! Won't you come with me?"

"Sure," Adrian nodded. "But I'm sure you don't need to worry."

"Why not?" Toni cried as they made their way to the door. "He's been avoiding us ever since Maeve's death and now suddenly he wants to talk? It's suspicious!"

"Well, we won't know until we talk to him, now will we?" Adrian told her. "So let's just get it over with."

When they got to Lucifer's, Dexter directed them to his office and Toni refused to go in until Lucifer barked, "Oh, come in, already!" from his desk.

"Okay, sorry," Toni replied and ran over to sit in the empty chair on the other side of the desk. "What...what can I do for you?"

"We're going to set up a room for you and Adrian," Lucifer told her curtly, his body erect and tense, although he was desperately trying to hide it. He'd been thinking about Maeve again, and that never ended well. "Here, at the house. I want the two of you here full time. No more going home at night, do you hear me? I want my family protected!"

"Yes, sir," Toni replied.

"You will not be late and you will answer when one of us calls, no matter how inconvenient it might be, do you understand me?" Lucifer continued, making sure Toni looked him in the eye.

"Yes sir," Toni repeated.

"Good," Lucifer replied. "You have a big act to follow. I want you to work as hard as...as hard as...Maeve." When he finally got the name out, his composure broke and he, right in front of Toni, threw himself in her arms, and began to sob.

"It'll be okay," Toni told him. "I'll look out for your family as well as Maeve did, I promise. It'll be all right." She kept patting his back, not knowing what else to do as he sobbed on her shoulder.

"You want me to call for Dexter?" She asked at last. "You want a drink?"

"Yes, please," Lucifer replied at last. "I apologize. I didn't mean to...for you to see that. I..."

"It's all right," Toni assured him. "I understand. And I promise I won't tell anyone about this. I'll be our secret." She didn't tell him Adrian was waiting by the door, but she was sure he wouldn't say anything either. She called for Dexter and then Lucifer ordered his drink, and by the time he brought it, he was alone because Adrian and Toni had begun their evening rounds.

"Are you all right?" Dexter asked after making sure the office door was closed. "Have you been crying? Do you need to make an appointment with Amy to talk?"

"I was thinking about Maeve," Lucifer confessed after downing his whiskey in one gulp and asking for another glass. "I just...I miss her so much. Between her being gone and Eleanor being gone, there's a lot of emptiness in my life right now."

"Well, why don't you go to the party?" Dexter encouraged. "That'll do a better job of making you forget your troubles than hiding out in here."

"Is Eleanor there yet?" Lucifer asked hopefully.

"I haven't seen her, but I'm sure she'll come," Dexter said. "She wouldn't lie about that. Finish your drink and come with me, please."

* * *

Even though Steve had not been okay with being fashionably late for the party, Angelica had no choice but to be so because worry about Sammy kept her right where she was. But at last, she'd had enough.

"All right," she called to him. "I don't care what you say. I'm going to the party now!"

"Well, it's about time!" Sammy called back. "I have a meeting to go to, so I won't be going with you. I'll come later."

"Oh, will you?" Angelica questioned as she turned to face him. "What meeting? Who are you seeing?"

"That's my business and not yours," Sammy replied. "Just don't worry about it, okay?"

"Tell me what you're doing!" Angelica demanded. "I have a feeling you're up to something evil and I don't like it!"

"Oh, it's not evil," Sammy replied, thinking quickly on his feet. "I have a friend who's been working on a ring for you. It was gonna be a surprise, but now you ruined it because you're so nosy. Shame on you!"

"Fine," Angelica sighed, not believing him at all. "Sorry."

"You should be," Sammy snapped. "Now, you go to the party."

"I will," Angelica promised.

But that was a lie. She got in her car and waited for him to pull out of the driveway, then put an invisibility spell on the car and followed him to an old abandoned monastery, standing and watching out of his sight as he did a spell that called forth the lady Dragon. He bowed to her and she congratulated him for all his hard work.

As she watched this, Angelica wanted so badly to swear under her breath and then stop this whole thing, but she stayed quiet so she would know the whole conversation. At least if Sammy was in league with the Dragon, that explained his behavior. But it didn't explain why he would do such a thing when the Dragon was evil, evil, evil. They would definitely have to have a talk about Sammy's life choices at some point.

Then some dust kicked up and in spite of trying hard not to, Angelica let out a sneeze that betrayed her location. Sammy's head snapped around and he urged the Dragon's spirit into a bottle that he put in a crevice and then strode toward where Angelica was hiding.

"You followed me!" He cried, grabbing her. "How much did you see?"

"Nothing!" She said, eyes wide. "I didn't see anything, Sammy. I promise!"

"Don't lie to me!" Sammy shook her. "I know you did!"

"I won't tell anyone about you and the Dragon, I swear!" Angelica promised. "But at least tell me why!"

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Sammy snapped, his blue eyes stormy as he dropped her to the ground. "Now, I believe we have a party to get to. Don't you think? Let's go."

"Okay," Angelica replied. "Yes, let's go."


	36. Karaoke Night

After stopping in the bathroom to clean up after his display of emotion with Toni, Lucifer left and bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry!" He said automatically, and then looked down to see Eleanor staring back at him. She was wearing platform heels, but even then he still towered over her. "You came!" He cried. He started to try and embrace her, but then restrained himself.

"Sorry," he said. "It was nice you were able to make it!"

"I wouldn't have missed it," Ellie told him. "And just so you know, your dad came. He's out and about and having the time of his life, so be nice!"

"Oh, have you ever known me to be anything but?" Lucifer grinned, his eyes sweeping over his wife's body. She was wearing tight leather pants and a sparkly black shirt that showed off her belly. Her hair was sprayed and moussed high and poofy and she wore purple nail polish and lipstick.

"You look so hot," Lucifer whispered.

"Thank you," Ellie replied, then started to turn on her heel before grabbing his hand. "I don't want you to face your father alone cause I don't know if you can behave yourself," she said, pulling him along. "You're coming with me."

"Yes, ma'am," Lucifer replied, a grin tugging at his lips. "And if it happens that I'm very naughty boy, would you punish me? You're certainly dressed for it."

"No," Ellie said firmly. "Not gonna happen now."

"Oh, come on!" Lucifer said. "It won't take very long!"

"We have guests," Ellie reminded him. "We can't just leave them."

"Yes we can!" Lucifer replied. "People don't need us to party!"

"True, but it's still not polite!" Ellie insisted.

"How long has it been since you've had a tumble?" Lucifer asked her. "Had a little fun in bed?"

"I've done all right," Ellie replied. "Have _you?_ I'm sure you have plenty of options at the club!"

"You don't seriously believe I would do what you're suggesting," Lucifer said, feeling offended.

"Well, I know you wouldn't in normal circumstances, but you've been celibate for a bit so that makes you do things you wouldn't normally do," Ellie shrugged.

"Now I think I deserve an apology for that!" Lucifer demanded. "You're just looking for excuse after excuse to pull away and keep me the dark instead of talking to me. Stop making up lies and just...let it all out."

"Please don't make me," Ellie begged. "Not now. I'm sorry I made that stuff up about you and I don't think you're cheating, but...can we just...not talk about it now? Go to the party? Get a drink?"

"Well, all right," Lucifer sighed. "I suppose that would be best if we want to keep the peace. And we're here together, so we might as well make the most of it." He kept his arm around her waist, even though he could feel his hand wanting to move downward and squeeze her butt.

"Now," Ellie said in a quiet voice as they made their way to the party room, "This doesn't mean I'm moving back in for good, but if you're reasonably well behaved and the house is still in one piece by the end of the night, I'll stay for the evening."

"Are you serious?" Lucifer asked in surprise, his dark eyes widening, "You're not just giving me false hope, are you?"

"No," Ellie shook her head. "For one night, you'll have me here, I swear. I won't try and back out of it when it comes time."

"Why can't you just stay for good then if you can get through one night?" Lucifer questioned.

"Hey, take the offer as it as or leave it," Ellie said. "Your choice."

"Make it two nights, the duration of the weekend, and we'll consider it one more favor used," Lucifer countered.

"How many more of those do I have left to owe you?" Ellie asked. "Shouldn't I be done by now?"

"No, but on the bright side, if you take me up on this one, you'll only have two more left," Lucifer told her. "And that's a fact." They were talking about the deal Ellie had made so that Lucifer would let her name their daughter Angelica Eve without complaint: seven favors owed to him from her, three for the first name, four for the second. The favors usually consisted of her giving up some of the control to him that she held dear so that he could make decisions for both of them on his own. It drove Ellie nuts, but she knew that was the price she was paying.

"Okay, two," Ellie agreed. "That'll be easy enough since this is a weekend."

"Exactly," Lucifer nodded as they reached the ballroom. "You can leave on Monday. And you look fabulous, by the way. Have I told you that?"

"No, but...thanks," Ellie said. "I thought I would go all out. You don't think it's too much?"

"No," Lucifer replied. "It most certainly is not."

They made their way into the party room and Lucifer groaned as Ellie pulled him toward his father. "Why are we doing this?" He groaned.

"You have to at least say 'Hello'," Ellie got out. "I'm not asking you to spend the whole night with him. Just exchange a pleasantry or two and then continue circulating. It's not hard. You can do it."

"Why didn't your parents come again?" Lucifer asked. "Did you even talk to them?"

"I did, but they took the twins to see Grandma Mary and Grandpa Liam this weekend," Ellie explained. "They promised they would come visit later, though."

She then pushed her very resistant husband in front of his father. "Look who's here, Steve!" She announced. "I just found him!"

"Wonderful!" Steve smiled and put down his drink. "Hello, Samael. Wonderful party. When are we gonna start singing? And have you seen Angelica?"

"I don't know when we're gonna start the singing, but I hope you'll be able to enjoy yourself until then," Lucifer got out. "And you too, Gwen. You look wonderful."

"Thank you," Gwen told him.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other people I need to see. But please keep enjoying yourselves," Lucifer finished and then made his getaway as Ellie followed.

"Good job," she said. "I'm proud of you." She paused. "Have you seen Angelica? It's not like her to be late."

"Oh, I'm sure she's around here somewhere," Lucifer shrugged. "She and Sammy are as horny as we are."

* * *

As soon as Angelica and Sammy got to the party, he headed to the dance floor and she, needing some time to recover from his crazy behavior, hid out in a nearby bathroom and got a few seconds of peace and quiet before her phone began to ring and she groaned with dismay at who it was: Steve. He had somehow gotten a hold of her phone and made the wallpaper a picture of himself so it was like he was staring at her every time she turned it on, and if that wasn't bad enough, "One of Us," was the ringtone that accompanied his calls. It made her want to kill him. She ignored it and let the call go to voicemail.

"Angelica, are you here?" He asked. "Where are you? I hope you came!" His voice was loud as if he had no idea how to leave a message at all. "All right," he finished at last. "Bye!"

Angelica groaned. "Why me?" She asked. "I'm surrounded by crazy men!"

She put the lid to the toilet seat down and sat until Valerie knocked and yelled, "Who's in there? I've had some margaritas and now I gotta pee!"

"Go use another bathroom!" Angelica cried. "I'm avoiding people in here!"

The door opened and she expected her sister to come and drag her out, but Valerie said, "Okay, I won't tell anyone. If it's Grandpa you're avoiding, I'll make an excuse for you. Not that that'll actually work for long, but...and can I get you a snack?"

"Thanks," Angelica replied. "I can handle Grandpa, but will you watch out for Sammy? I think he's gone insane. He's consorting with the Dragon Lady! I _saw_ them!"

"Well, that's not good," Valerie replied. "All right, you go keep Grandpa busy and Dexter and I will look after Sammy and make sure he doesn't cause any trouble and stays away from you."

"Thank you," Angelica replied and gave her sister a hug after hopping off the toilet. "I appreciate it."

"No problem," Valerie replied as they walked to the party. "And you look like you could use a drink."

"Let me guess, you recommend the margaritas?" Angelica said.

"Yes," Valerie said. "Wait, stay right there. I completely forgot that I came here to use the bathroom."

So Angelica waited until her sister was done and they walked into the party together. Angelica went to meet Steve while Valerie warned Dexter about Sammy.

"Thanks for telling me," Dexter told her. "I'll get a team on it."

He did, but both of them kept an eye on Sammy, even as they did fun things like dancing.

"Okay, can you see him?" Dexter asked as Valerie looked over his shoulder.

"I can," Valerie replied. "He seems to be behaving himself. Not going much of anything. "Spin me and you can have a look."

Dexter did just that and saw she was right. Sammy was just standing against one of the walls with a drink in his hand and watching everyone, not really joining in just yet. He and Valerie alternated this way until the song was over and then Valerie went to talk to him.

"So..." she said easily. "Having a good night? Why aren't you dancing with my sister?"

"I've tried but she won't let me," Sammy replied. "Says I'm too dangerous. Will you talk to her about that?"

"Well, if she says you're too dangerous, I'm not gonna make her do something that'll put her in an uncomfortable situation," Valerie replied. "So you just stay here and drink, and if we're lucky, you'll pass out and we can discreetly remove you before you cause any real trouble."

"You know, I think I'd rather dance instead," Sammy replied, putting his bottle down and trying to go toward Angelica, but Valerie cold-cocked him and he fell to the floor. "Yeah, you stay right there," she said, giving his still body a swift kick. "That's a good spot for you."

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. "What did you just do to Sammy?" Vincent asked. Sometimes, he really worried about his sister.

"I beat him up," Valerie shrugged. "He's siding with the Dragon, did you know that? Her spirit! Angelica saw them! And she has marks on her neck that she was trying to hide. I think he's hurting her."

"Well, keep on doing what you're doing then," Vincent replied. "Don't let me stop you."

Valerie nodded and her eyes traveled to her pregnant sister in law who was standing nearby. "How are you doing?" She asked. "Are you okay? Enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, yeah," Lauren nodded and held up her glass. Her long hair, which she normally wore up, was flowing down her back in curls now and Vincent couldn't keep his fingers out of it. "Vincent found some sparkling cider for me, so I'm good. I can't wait to sing later tonight."

"Me either," Valerie said.

"Would you mind staying with Lauren while I take Sammy to another room?" Vincent asked. "Doesn't really do much for the party atmosphere to have an unconscious man lying on the floor." He kissed Lauren's head and said, "Oh, and if Mom sends out song requests, you know what ours is. And I also want to sing 'Hair" at some point and dedicate it to you, sweetie."

Lauren giggled.

"Okay," Valerie agreed about Sammy.. "And if he wakes up along the way, whack him on the head again."

"You don't have to tell me that," Vincent told her as he picked Sammy up and carried him out of the ballroom, nearly bumping into Lexie and Emma, who had just arrived.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Nice to see you two here. Didn't really expect you to come."

"Well, we weren't going to at first, but then who are we to turn down a good night of dancing?" Emma asked and did a little twirl.

"And we'll probably be free of our minders too," Lexie added. "I think they're too scared to show their faces at Uncle Lucifer's house." Then she asked, "Vincent, who's that unconscious person you have over your shoulder?"

"No one, don't worry about it," Vincent told them. "Just have fun."

"We will," Emma assured him. "With no angels hounding us, how could we not?"

* * *

"I really don't think we should be here," Gabriel told Michael as they made their way to the front of Lucifer's house. "We weren't invited to this party." They'd followed the twins and watched as they went inside.

"I'm sure our dear brother meant to invite us, and even if he didn't, I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we came," Michael replied. "If you didn't want to come to this party, you shouldn't have told me about it."

"Oh, yeah," Gabriel nodded. "Now I just wish I would have kept my big fat mouth shut!"

They made their way inside, and Michael just wanted to go party, but Gabriel thought it would be best to warn Lucifer first.

As they made their way into the party room, Lucifer looked up and inadvertently spat bourbon all over Ellie's pants.

"Hey!" She cried, jumping up. "What did you do that for?"

"My brothers just came into the room," Lucifer told her. "Would you care to meet Michael and Gabriel before I throw them out cause they weren't invited?"

"Oh, you're not throwing them out," Ellie said as they approached her with grins on their faces and Michael kissed Ellie's hand as Lucifer simmered with jealousy. "They can just stay and party with everyone else."

"Oh, no they cannot!" Lucifer replied and pulled Michael away from Ellie. "Just what in the world are you two doing here?"

"We're supposed to be watching Emma and Lexie," Michael said. "Dad's orders. And since they're here, we have to be too, invited or not."

Lucifer's eyes went red as he found his father dancing with Gwen. "We'll see about that," he said.

"Be careful," Ellie warned.

Lucifer took a deep breath and approached his father with a more measured pace. "Hello, Dad," he said. "Michael and Gabriel just arrived. When were you planning on telling me that they were here?"

Steve sighed and looked at Gwen. "Sorry about spoiling our good time, but apparently, I'm in trouble again."

"You do what you need to do," Gwen said. "I'll stay here and watch your drink."

"I don't see what the problem is with seeing your brothers again," Steve told him.

"Well, it would have been nice to know ahead of time," Lucifer said through his teeth. "You know I don't like surprises."

"I don't know why Angelica didn't tell you," Steve shrugged. "She's known ever since they first arrived."

"Oh, has she?" Lucifer asked, stomping away from him and toward Angelica. "You have some explaining to do, young lady."

"Why?" Angelica asked.

"When were you going to tell me about your uncles arriving on earth?" He demanded. "Or were you just gonna keep it a secret?"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to throw a fit just like you're doing now!" Angelica said. "I didn't even know you would see them!"

"Anyone else coming that I should know about?" Lucifer demanded. "Will I be seeing my mum out of Hell and wandering the halls cause she came to join the party?"

"If that happens, I don't know anything about it," Angelica replied. "Are you done? I'd like to go back to having fun now."

"Fine," Lucifer huffed. "But I am _not_ happy!"

Ellie noticed Lucifer's unhappiness and decided there was only one thing to do to lighten the mood. She made her way to the front of the room by the karaoke equipment and grabbed the microphone. "Okay!" She said. "Who's ready for the singing? We can pretty much get any song you want, so write them down on the slips of paper in this bowl up here and we'll get started. We'll just keep singing until everyone is tired and then you can either spend the night or go home, whatever feels right to you. Everyone good with that?"

A cheer rose up and then Ellie passed the bowl of pieces of paper and pens around and soon, the bowl was full of songs, which she brought back to Lucifer, who was getting the playlist set up.

"Here it is," Ellie said. "Some good choices. And don't forget that we're doing one. It seems like we're doing a round of duets first."

Lucifer looked them over. "I can't believe you let Dad and Gwen sing. Do you know how embarrassing that's gonna be? Wouldn't you be embarrassed if _your_ parents sang?"

"No, not really," Ellie shook her head. "Maybe we should have them go first. That way, you won't have to dread the embarrassment for hours because it'll be over with!"

"I see your point, but I want us to go first because it's our party," Lucifer replied.

"Fine, whatever you want," Ellie shrugged. "No skin off my nose."

So she and Lucifer went first, and they didn't end up singing 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart,' but 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' by Starship. They ended the song with a flourish and bows to momentous applause. Then Ellie worked her magic and announced that Steve and Gwen, who were singing 'You're The Inspiration' by Chicago. Even though it had been put forward as a duet, Gwen backed out at the last moment, her cheeks pink.

Steve decided to make it a solo effort, taking the microphone in his hand as he approached the table and sang it right to Gwen as Lucifer groaned, turned pink, and buried his head in Ellie's shoulder.

"I'm so embarrassed," he said. "Tell me when the horror is over!"

"It's not a horror!" Ellie replied and ruffled his hair. "I think it's sweet!"

To Steve's surprise, after he sang for a bit, Gwen smiled, stood, and joined him, turning it into a duet, even though she was still blushing the entire time. They kissed briefly once the song had ended and Ellie let Lucifer go to give them a standing ovation.

"My gosh, Eleanor, don't encourage them," he said irritably.

"I thought it was good so why shouldn't I applaud?" Ellie questioned. "If you're so crabby, maybe you should go to our room!"

"I won't let him run me out!" Lucifer insisted stubbornly. I won't!"

But when the next singers came to do their performance, he almost _did_ leave. Lauren and Vincent were singing 'Almost Paradise,' and it truly did seem like they were singing only to each other, their voices powerful and grins on their faces the entire time, especially when they had both of their hands on Lauren's belly so that, in a way, the three of them were connected, and when the song ended, they looked at the applauding crowd in surprise as if they'd forgotten they were there.

"I totally forgot people were watching us," Lauren whispered in Vincent's ear as they made their way off the stage.

"Yeah, me too," Vincent replied. "All I could think about was you."

Lauren giggled and kissed him. "Same here. Aren't you sweet!"

He helped her sit down and then noticed her glass was empty. "Want some more cider?" he asked. "I'm going to get more wine anyway."

"Yes, please," Lauren nodded. "And thank you."

"And if you need to rest, don't be afraid to say something," Vincent added before he left. "That's fine with me."

"I'm good now, but if I need to go, I won't hesitate to say something," she promised and then turned back to the stage just in time to see Dexter and Valerie sing 'You Spin Me Round' by Dead Or Alive, definitely the most upbeat of the first round of songs. Lauren really was surprised how much of a duet it really was. She hadn't thought Dexter would be into it. But he and Valerie alternated verses and he really was enthusiastic. He even looked comfortable in his torn jeans and leather jacket.

"What do you say you take the shirt off and just wear the jeans and the jacket before we go to bed tonight?" Valerie requested after the number as they headed back to the table. "And maybe you could sing me another song? I think I'd like that."

"I would too," Dexter agreed, his eyes roaming over the skin that was exposed by the tiny leopard print mini dress she wore. "You look really...hot by the way."

"Thank you!" Valerie grinned, kissing him without realizing they were doing it by Lucifer and Ellie's table.

"Stop!" Lucifer cried, breaking them apart. "Will the embarrassment not cease this evening?"

"Sorry," Valerie said, even though she really wasn't.

* * *

The singing continued until the wee hours of the morning (including Gabriel reluctantly doing a duet with Michael when Lexie and Emma refused to sing with them (or let them sit at the same table), and then, everyone retired to bed instead of leaving to go home.

Angie had just tucked herself into bed when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Angelica, it's mom," Ellie said. "You asleep?"

"No, come in," Angelica replied.

Ellie let herself in and came to sit down on the bed and put an arm around her daughter, who then lay a head on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" Ellie asked. "I notice you didn't sing much tonight. Did you have a good time anyway?"

"It was okay," Angelica sighed. "Not the most fun night I've ever had, but it's not your fault. Sammy's in league with the Dragon Lady's ghost."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Ellie replied. "You want me to tell your father so we can work on fixing it? I'll do it."

"Sure," Angelica sighed. "That would be nice." Her eyes closed and then Ellie tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, sweetie. I hope you can sleep well."

"Me too," Angelica agreed, her voice a whisper as she pulled the covers over her head. "Goodnight, Mommy."

"Goodnight," Ellie smiled, turning off the light and then quietly slipping out of the room and heading back to Lucifer.

"How is Angelica?" Lucifer questioned. "Is she all right? My father didn't trouble her too much?"

"No, it seems like _Sammy_ is more the trouble," Ellie said. "It appears our friend the Dragon Lady is in league with him or something and poor Angelica is at her wits' end about it. We need to do something!"

"I agree," Lucifer replied with narrowed eyes. "I don't like that woman messing with my family." He smiled and took her in his arms. "Thank you for keeping your word and staying."

Ellie sighed. "I suppose I needed this, in a booty call kind of way. I've been taking care of myself and it works well enough, but it's not the same."

"No, it certainly is not," Lucifer agreed. "When you're alone in your room at your parents' house, I hope you remember that."

"Oh, don't start trouble," Ellie said and put a finger on his lips before kissing him. "Am I gonna have to kiss you to keep you quiet?"

"Yes," Lucifer replied before getting her underneath him and kissing her all over her body. "I think you are." Afterward, he asked, "What game do you want to play tonight?"

"I think Hot and Cold would be fun," Ellie smiled. "You got a candle?"

Hot and Cold was simple enough: It started with them covering each other's naked bodies in candle wax and then get it off with ice. It hurt, but it was a nice pain, and the lotion and massages afterward were nice too.

Then he kissed her soundly as her hands threaded through his curly hair as he entered her over and over again. It felt good, she had to admit. She wasn't giving in because of this. She wasn't returning home for good yet. But she'd have to think about stopping by every once in a while to have a little fun.

She giggled as he kissed her inner thighs and tasted her slowly. Yeah, maybe she'd been too stubborn cause this, she had to admit, wasn't bad at all.

* * *

But Lexie and Emma were not so eager to give in. They continued to avoid Michael and Gabriel until they were finally discovered camping out in the yard under a tent one of the girls had zapped up.

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" Gabriel asked as he poked his head in. "It's cold and you're going to freeze out here!"

"Yeah," Michael added. "Come in the house, please?" He reached for Emma but she slapped his hand away. "No thank you," she replied. "As long as you're in the house, we're not gonna be."

"Go away," Lexie added. "We're not gonna do what you want, so you might as well give up!"

"That is not in our vocabulary," Michael replied, ripping the tent open, grabbing a screaming Emma, and putting her over his shoulder before staring at his brother. "You gonna grab Lexie or what?"

"No, I would like to keep all my limbs, thank you," Gabriel told him as Lexie growled in a very feral way. "Come in," he begged her. "Please? If you don't come, you'll have to be out here all alone."

"Fine," Lexie said. "But I still don't like you." Or rather, she thought, she didn't like the tingly, pleasant things she felt when she was around him. No way would he know this, though. She let him pull her up out of the tent and then they made their way toward the house.

"About time," Michael said and gave Emma a light hit on her bottom cause she was biting him and scratching him and trying to escape. "I was just about to lose this one."

"Stop hitting my sister, would you?" Lexie said. "Ask nicely!"

"Would you stop squirming, please?" Michael asked with a roll of his eyes. "It will only lead you to hurt yourself. I know you don't like being handled this way, but I'm not gonna have you freeze out here because you're being stubborn!"

"Oh, fuck off!" Emma replied. But she stopped struggling and let him take her into the house without much more resistance.

"Please tell us you're gonna leave us in our rooms," Emma said. "I don't think it'll happen, but..."

"You don't really want to stay alone when we're here, do you?" Michael asked.

"Yes," Emma said immediately. "Yes, I do." She was glad Michael had worn a shirt to come and retrieve her. If he hadn't...she wouldn't have been able to protest at all.

"Well, I don't think we're comfortable with that," Michael said to Gabriel. "Are we?"

"Nope," Gabriel agreed. So the twins were taken to their guardian angel's rooms to spend the night, the door locking with a certain sound of finality behind them


	37. Brother And Sisterly Love

As Lucifer and Ellie settled down for the night, they were interrupted by the sounds of Lexie and Emma shouting. And then, just as Lucifer was about to get up and go check on them, there was silence. The images of what could be going on between the girls who he basically considered his own now that Maeve was gone and his brothers was too much for him to bear, so he got out of bed.

"What are you doing?" Ellie asked. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really," Lucifer replied. "I can't stop thinking about my brothers and your sisters. Why do their relationships bother me more than they do you?"

"Your brothers seem nice enough to me," Ellie shrugged, getting out of bed and putting on a robe. "If you're not gonna sleep, I won't either. Let's go to the kitchen. Is there still some of that chocolate cake left?"

There was, and Lucifer stared in disbelief as his wife stood there eating it in the face of all this trouble.

"I don't know how you can stand there gorging yourself when our siblings are together under our roof!"

"I told you that it doesn't bother me," Ellie said through a full mouth. "Cake and sex are the best, aren't they?"

"Yes and what a skillful job you're doing of trying to change the subject," Lucifer drawled. "But it's not gonna work."

"I just don't want you to be cranky," Ellie replied. "You get cranky and it affects everyone one else. We're supposed to be having fun now, remember?" She paused. "And I don't see what the problem is that you have with your brothers. I mean, it's not like they're your _mom._ They seem perfectly nice, as I said earlier..."

"Nice?" Lucifer repeated. "You define 'nice' in a very strange way, Eleanor." He frowned at her deeply, bending down a little so his gaze was boring directly into hers and their faces were practically touching. "They are _not_ nice. One is way too perfect and has his head so far up Dad's ass that it would come out the other end of him if it was up any further, and the other is just...likes nothing but sex and drugs!"

"So with the exception of the 'having his head stuck up dad's ass' part, they're a lot like you?" Ellie asked, putting the cake down for a moment to give her husband a wide grin, which showed a bit of cake stuck in her teeth.

Lucifer winced and ordered her to go to the bathroom and get that fixed just as a loud bang and some clear yelling sounded over their heads.

"What the hell do you think that is?" Ellie asked.

"Well, I'm sure I don't know, but I bet it's coming from the girls' rooms and now you know why I don't want girls who are as good as my own daughters anywhere near them," Lucifer said as he ran for the stairs with Ellie following.

"No, don't!" She yelled back, trying to pull him away from the staircase and having no success cause he was taller and stronger, so she followed him up to the second floor instead. "Leave them alone. I'm sure it's nothing. We yelled at each other a lot when we first got together and we turned out fine!"

"But what you don't seem to get is that I don't _want_ them to be fine with my brothers!" Lucifer cried, his voice full of irritation. "I wish Maeve were here to defend her daughters! She'd make quick work of Gabriel and Michael!"

"Well, the girls are Maeve's daughters, remember?" Ellie asked, trying to pull her husband back toward the stairs until he picked her up and moved her away from him. "They've probably got it handled already. Just trust them, okay?"

"Fine," Lucifer sighed. "I see that once again, you cannot just let me have my way. But if anything happens to them, it's on your head, Eleanor."

"Oh, frankly, I think it's your _brothers_ that we should be more worried about," Ellie replied, taking his hand and leading him back to the kitchen.

* * *

"I don't know why you're so angry all the time," Michael told Emma, who was now gagged and lying on the bed after making all that noise. "You're sending me a lot of mixed messages here. Do you like me or not? Even if it's just the sex you like, can you admit that?"

Emma made lots of noise, and finally Michael removed the gag. "So?" He asked. "What's the truth?"

"I'm not saying anything," Emma replied firmly. "Nothing at all!"

"Oh, all right," Michael heaved an exaggerated sigh. "You don't have to say anything to prove my point." He then gagged her again and tied her wrists and ankles so that she couldn't move and he could watch the look on her face as he undressed.

He did at it a leisurely pace, keeping his eyes on Emma the entire time as she used magic to loosen the ropes around her wrists so she could move her hand and slip it under her panties to rub herself.

Michael grinned as he tossed his underwear aside and approached her, moving her hand, kissing her soundly, and touching her instead. "I thought so," he whispered before she threw her arms around his neck.

"You bastard," she whispered before kissing him again.

His hands then roamed all over her body as he nibbled on her neck, and she let out a moan of pleasure, which continued as he rubbed her, but then, as he slipped her panties off, her eyes widened and she froze.

"What?" He asked. "I thought that's where we were going with this. Thanks for changing course before we got too far into it."

"No, it's not that," Emma told him. "I want to. If I don't, I think my head will explode. But...but it'll be my first time...with _anyone._ Just thought you'd want to know that. You probably think it's a really silly thing, and if you'd rather not, that's fine. I bet you want to be with someone more experienced."

She started to turn away and he just grinned, coming to sit beside her and pull her in his arms. "Oh, please," he whispered into her hair. "I have enough experience for the both of us. I can teach you all the fun tricks."

"You can?" Emma asked. "What if I'm a crappy learner?"

"You won't be," he assured her, smiling and kissing her soundly before lowering her onto the mattress. He made sure she saw him put the condom on and then started with gentle massage all over her body until she told him she felt all warm and tingly.

"I'm ready to go further if you are," he told her, his breath picking up. His brain told him that he should stop now, or that he should at least offer to have this be all about her, but he just couldn't do that. And she seemed fine. "Please say yes."

"Will it hurt?" Emma asked, wide eyed.

"I'll try my best to make sure it doesn't," Michael promised.

"I trust you," Emma told him, much to his surprise, before she reached out and began touching him, first his cock and then other places on his body as he shut his eyes and tried to breathe.

Dad help me, he thought. She wasn't even trying to be a tease. She was curious. She was exploring. And he'd never been so turned on in his life.

When he mad a noise in his throat, the touching stopped for a moment and he opened his eyes to stare. "Why did you stop?" He asked. "You were doing so well!"

"I was?" Emma asked. "Good! I stopped because you were making noise, and I was afraid it was a noise of pain."

"Oh, if it was pain, it was the good kind," he assured her and pulled her close. "You know, you're very pretty."

"So we've returned to flattery?" Emma asked. "Thanks, but that's not what I thought came next. Are you stalling, Michael? That's a surprise."

"Well, it's because I sense you're nervous," he said.

"I _did_ ask you if it would hurt," Emma reminded him. "I'm still worried about that." She looked down. "I mean, you're not exactly small."

Michael sighed. "I can get you ready for that," he said and lay her back on the mattress. "Are you ready? You're just gonna feel my finger."

Emma nodded, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then gasped as she felt his finger slide inside of her, then go in and out gently. She even thought she felt what might have been an orgasm but she wasn't sure.

"Was that good?" Michael asked after a while. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "That was good. I liked that. I think...I think I'm ready now."

"Are you absolutely positive?" Michael asked, wondering just what it was that was making him check and check again when she'd said she was.

"Yes," Emma said, leaning in close, playing with his hair and kissing his neck. "Let's do it, please!"

He smiled and took her in his arms, telling her to put her arms around his neck and wrap her legs around his waist. Then they both fell back onto the mattress and, keeping his eyes on her face for any hint of discomfort, he pushed into her a few times. carefully and slowly.

When she seemed fine after that and he made sure of it, he sped up a little, her moans arousing him even more as she called out his name with those beautiful lips of hers.

Finally, they both fell back onto the mattress again, exhausted and panting. He began to massage her thighs and tummy as they both caught their breaths. "Are you good?" He asked. "Was it good?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded and smiled, taking his face and kissing him. "Thank you for being careful with me. I didn't think you were capable of it."

"Frankly, I didn't think I was either," He replied, then let her snuggle against him as, worn out, she shut her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

"You said I could leave the cabin!" Lexie shouted next door. "I heard you!"

"I said no such thing!" Gabriel argued. "You made that up in your head and then ran off. Scared me half to death!"

"Oh, that's bullshit!" Lexie spat. "Why would you care about me that way, especially when I've caused you so much trouble? I'm nothing but the kid your dad foisted on you against your will! You should be thanking me for running away!"

"I will not!" Gabriel shook his head. "Not after what we did in the shower. But I guess it meant more to me than it did to you."

"It was just sex, that's all," Lexie replied after rolling her eyes. "We're not even boyfriend and girlfriend so why would it matter to you?"

"I can see why it wouldn't matter to you since it's something that could be bought cheap like a...like a hotdog you get from a cart on the sidewalk!" Gabriel yelled. "Does anything matter to you? Do you care about anyone but yourself? Or _do_ you even care about yourself? You probably don't cause it's better just to act like a harlot and not care about anyone!"

"Shut up!" Lexie cried, slapping him and grabbing both sides of his face to kiss him before kissing him and reaching in his pants to touch him. "I don't want to hear another word out of you!"

"Oh, well, okay," Gabriel got out in an angry whisper, and not being able to say much more as he focused on not letting her see how her touch was truly affecting him. "I don't think that will be a problem! We should probably make less noise anyway so we don't wake everyone up! I'll shut up if you shut up!"

"You know, for a man who's being felt up, you're not doing a good job of showing appreciation!" Lexie hissed. "What's your problem?"

"Well, I do a good job of putting stuff like that at a distance," Gabriel told her as she backed him up to the bed and pushed him onto the mattress. "And it's hard to be aroused by someone who's yelling at me."

Lexie scoffed and loomed over him, pulling her hair out of its tie and shaking it all over Gabriel's bare chest.

"It's...you smell good," Gabriel got out. Now he was becoming aroused. The smell alone was doing it.

Lexie grinned and gave a zap, making his arms tied to the bed posts before she gently gave him a blow job until he climaxed. Then, to his surprise, she undid the restraints and watched him. "Do I have to do all the work?" She asked at last. "Haven't I shown you enough for me to have a turn?"

"I suppose," Gabriel nodded and sat up. "But I make no guarantees that I'll be any good at it. and since I put forth that warning, you can't complain."

"Just do it!" Lexie barked impatiently.

To relieve his nervousness, Gabriel gagged her and turned off the lights so he wouldn't see her staring or hear her throw him off with what would undoubtedly be snide comments. He then headed back to bed and took a deep breath, climbing in beside her and gently kissing every bit of skin he could get his lips on.

Then, after a little more hesitation, he began tasting her, slowly and cautiously at first, but when he heard the noises that she was making in spite of the gag, he assumed they were good, and with more confidence, continued before kissing her soundly and burying himself inside her over and over again, until he felt the movement of her body that seemed to indicate climax.

Once he had that, he undid the gag and began tickling her until she was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

"Okay, stop!" She cried at last, breathless laughter in her voice. "I surrender! You're good! I admit it!"

"You just remember that," he whispered against her ear and gently nibbled on the lobe. Then they both lapsed into silence and to his surprise, she got close to him and put her arms around him. "No, seriously," she told him. "You did not bad for your first time around. I can't say I was disappointed."

"I'll take it," he told her. "Thank you. Now we should probably get to sleep."

"Can I have a bit more of your blood?" Lexie questioned. "That might help."

"No," Gabriel shook his head. "You don't need it. Go to sleep."

"You were doing so _well,_ " Lexie sighed in exasperation and lay down hard on her pillow. "Now you're back to being yourself. What happened?"

* * *

Since Ellie was full of cake, she watched everyone else at the post karaoke party breakfast several hours later. It was while this was going on that her cell phone rang. Giving an apology and excusing herself, she went to answer it.

"What is it?" She asked, her breath picking up since the call was from Hell and that could never be a good thing. "This better be important!"

"It is," said the demon on the other line. "Ma'am, we thought you'd want to know that, um...your mother-in-law escaped. But we're looking for her, I promise. We'll get her back."

"What do you mean my mother in law escaped?" Ellie wanted to know sas she tried to keep her voice down. "You have no idea where she is _at all_? What am I supposed to do until you find her? _Nothing_?"

"You could tell your husband," the demon suggested. "Don't you think he'd want to know?"

"I can't tell him," Ellie said. "Not now. Not when he already has to deal with his brothers showing up. I can handle this. It'll be fine. No worries." But her nervous laughter betrayed her. It wouldn't be fine at all.

"Tell him," the demon insisted. "It might be hard, but it'll be better for both of you."

"Fine," Ellie sighed. "Thanks for the warning."

She ended the call and went back to the breakfast table, tapping on Lucifer, who was in the middle of devouring steak, eggs, and potatoes.

"I have to tell you things in private," she whispered. "Would you come with me?"

"Oh, sure," Lucifer replied, swallowing and giving her a grin. "We'll go find a nice little closet and you can 'tell me things' for a good long time. That is, if you can't make it to the bedroom, which I understand if you can't."

"Your mother escaped Hell," Ellie blurted out when they were out of the other guests' hearing. "I just...I guess my dark moods kind of...weakened the power of the spells I put in Hell and she got out. I let you down and I'm sorry."

"Bloody hell," Lucifer sighed. "It's not your fault. Actually, I'm very surprised you kept her corralled as long as you did. We can deal with this."

"Yes we can," Ellie nodded. "Except that we don't know where she is or what she looks like, or how to even start fixing this problem." She paused. "Wait, I know."

"You have an idea?" Lucifer asked. "What is it, where do we start?"

"Well, I'll have three screwdrivers and then we'll see where to go from there," Ellie said, heading back to the kitchen with Lucifer following. "And maybe a mimosa too. It's a good thing we got lots of orange juice, isn't it?"

"That's not the sort of idea I wanted to hear, but if it'll lead to better ones, go ahead," Lucifer sighed and sat down to watch his wife drink.

* * *

Meanwhile, Valerie had left the breakfast a little early to get dressed for the day because she, as she occasionally did, had decided to help Dexter with his errands, and she was becoming much better with it now. After showering and drying her hair, she headed into her bedroom with a towel wrapped around herself and opened up the closet to get a little black dress off a hanger, but was surprised to see a strange woman standing amidst her clothes. She was then grabbed and after struggling violently as a hand was put over her mouth, she thought it would be best to pause and let the intruder explain themselves.

"Are you going to stop struggling now and help me?" The woman asked. She was tan and tall with honey blonde hair and blue eyes, and she wore a form fitting, short red dress.

Valerie nodded and she was let go, as the towel fell before she could grab it, and when she did, the woman seemed unaffected. "I was right," she said, examining Valerie's naked form. "I came to the right place. You're Valerie? _Please_ don't tell me you're Angelica. I know I'll get no help from Angelica. She's much too good for that. I'll never hear the end of it!"

"Yeah, I'm Valerie," Valerie nodded, deciding to forget the towel and zap on a bathrobe instead and pushing her black hair out of her green eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

"Those...marks on your back are interesting," the woman told her and got up close, turning her around and pulling her untied robe back to expose the birthmarks. "My husband told me that if any of my children ever reproduced, their offspring would have marks like that, like wings, so that they could be identified by any of us who came down from the Silver City. Lucifer's your father, isn't he?"

Valerie didn't quite know how to handle this, so she decided that the woman was nuts and that she should keep her around for as long as possible. "How...how do you know that?"

"Your father is my son," The woman replied. "I suppose that would make me your..." she shuddered as she said the next word. " _Grandmother."_

"So, assuming that what you say is true, you had to get a body like Grandpa did, right?" Valerie asked. Keep her talking, she told herself. Don't let her leave.

"Yes," her grandmother sighed and looked in the floor-length mirror across from Valerie's bed. "And you wouldn't _believe_ how long it took to find one with such splendid hindquarters."

"Oh, geez! I didn't need to hear that!" Valerie groaned. "So...you're the Goddess Of All Creation."

"Yes," the woman replied. "But if you must call me something else, you can call me Charlotte. That's the name of the person I now inhabit and I suppose it's good as anything else."


	38. How Do You Really Feel?

While Valerie dealt with Charlotte, the twins and the angels were waking up to face the afterwards of what they'd done. Michael awoke with a start and looked down at Emma, who was sleeping soundly beside him and sighed with relief. It was good. That way, he could get dressed, sneak out, and he wouldn't have to face her. It would be easier that way. He got out of bed, quietly dressed, and then was all ready to leave when he was hindered by a squeaky door hinge, which made a half-awake Emma sit upright.

"Where are you going?" She asked, her hair sticking up like a halo, especially in the early morning light. "Are you leaving me? Please don't do that. Come back." Her lip jutted out, but she didn't move until he turned the doorknob and took two steps out the door. Then she threw the covers aside and strode toward him, looking less angelic and more irritated.

"Nice to see you're not treating me any different than anyone else, in spite of how I thought so last night," she said, hands on hips. "Do you always run out in the morning while your dates are asleep so you don't have to face your feelings and say goodbye?"

"I was gonna come back," Michael improvised quickly, trying to keep his eyes off her naked body so he would leave like he wanted to. "I was just getting you breakfast, but if you don't want it, fine. One less thing for me to have to do."

"I can get my own breakfast thank you, but don't let me stop _you_ from eating," Emma shot back.

He let his eyes sweep her body now. "You look good. I thought you would have wanted to cover yourself up like a blushing virgin before you exposed yourself to me again."

"I think we're past that," Emma told him. "I just wanted to remind you what you were missing out on as you ran out on me like the coward you are!"

"I told you, it wasn't cowardice!" Michael hissed through his teeth. "I was just going to eat! Aren't I allowed to do that anymore? Or do I need Her Highness' permission before I do so much as piss?"

"Oh, go and eat!" Emma spat. "I could use a few minutes of not looking at your stupid face!"

And with that, Michael scoffed, turned on his heel, and left the bedroom, making sure to slam the door behind him.

"What an idiot," Emma said to herself, grabbing a blanket from the end of the bed to put around her shoulders. "But if I know him, he won't be gone long." She then counted down from five as the door opened again, Michael strode to her and grabbed her, his mouth crashing against hers as the blanket fell to the floor.

"What took you so long?" She asked breathlessly as he picked her up and carried her back to bed. "Afraid to face Uncle Lucifer?"

"Why do you keep saying I'm afraid of everything when I'm not?" Michael asked as he took off his pants, waited with an eye roll for Emma to zap on a condom,and then slipped inside her.

"Oh, please," Emma scoffed. "Everyone's afraid of something. Even you."

"Nope, nothing," MIchael shook his head. "Now no talking. You're ruining the mood."

Emma scoffed at this. "Well _, excuse_ me," she said as he sucked gently on her nipples. "Who's acting like a His Highness _now_?"

* * *

Lexie woke up to the feeling of Gabriel running his fingers through her hair. "I was gonna shower," he said. "You wanna do it with me?"

"It depends," Lexie replied and turned slightly. "Is it a _sexy_ shower or are we just cleaning ourselves?"

"So you'll do one but not the other," Gabriel scoffed. "It's nice you think I'm only good for one thing!"

"Well, you ask me if I want to shower first thing in the morning, what am I suposed to think?" Lexie asked. "Especially after last night?"

"I thought last night was nice," Gabriel told her. "Sorry, it won't happen again."

"Oh, yes it will," Lexie told him. "Okay, I'll shower with you, even if we don't get soapy and feel each other up."

He followed her into the bathroom and she couldn't help but keep her eyes on him as he turned the water on and stripped down. "I don't mind that," he said and pulled her close against his body. "I just don't want it to be all we do. I really want to be close to you, that's all, Alexandra."

Lexie squirmed a little at this. It was nice to hear because if she was honest, she never really felt wanted and cared about by anyone. She was the one who did all the caring, but no one really was good enough to be there for her. Could she trust Gabriel? Did he really mean what he said?

"Do you mean it?" She asked. "Do you really want to be with me...just be with me? No strings attached or anything?"

"Yes, I mean it," Gabriel replied. "Now let's get in the shower."

They did, with Lexie letting Gabriel go ahead of her. Then he turned around to face her, held out his hand, and after she took it, gently pulled her into the spray. He then held her under the warm water for a bit, not washing her or touching her, just...holding her, her head resting on his shoulder as the water soaked both of them in silence except for the sound of the falling water overhead. She was so relaxed, her eyes even closed for a few seconds, before he roused her and her eyes snapped open.

"I didn't mean to make you fall asleep," he said. "That wasn't the point of this. Let's wash up!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," Lexie remarked. She paused and then asked, "Would you wash me first?"

"Sure," Gabriel nodded, giving her a gentle smile that nearly turned her legs into jelly. He really did have a nice smile. It was like pure damn sunshine. "It would be my pleasure."

"Well, you're damn right it would!" Lexie answered a little too loudly, trying to get control of the situation back.

He gave her a look of surprise and then soaped up a loofah, washing her gently just for washing's sake and then, after that, washed Lexie's more intimate parts as she held onto him tightly and played with his hair.

After he was done, Lexie opened her mouth and reached for the loofah, but he kept it from her and washed himself, then turned off the water and took her hand to lead her out and back to bed.

"But what about your turn?" Lexie asked curiously. "Don't you want me to clean you?"

"Thanks, but...I want this to be all about you for the moment," he told her. "What kind of lotion do you like?"

"I just...I don't know! I don't spend my time smelling pretty!" Lexie said. "You pick something."

So Gabriel nodded and looked around, finding a container of lotion that smelled like lavendar, then stood behind her, slathering her body with it, and then urged her to sit down on the side of the tub so he could put it on her feet.

"I feel like a spoiled poodle," Lexie said, even though she was enjoying herself immensely. It did feel good.

"That can be a good thing," Gabriel said. "You deserve it every once in a while. You don't just have to give and give all the time."

"But it makes me soft," she said. "It makes me weak!"

"No, it doesn't," Gabriel insisted, taking her face in his hands. "It makes you...human."

"Oh, okay, enough of this!" Lexie cried after he finished with her feet. She zapped on some clothes and then stomped out of the bathroom, finally convincing him to let her touch him for a while, and then when he'd climaxed, she realized she was hungry. "I'm going to get food. Are you hungry? Do you want me to get you some?"

"You don't have to," Gabriel told her and quickly put on some clothes. "I'll come with you."

"Fine," Lexie nodded, hoping that the spell she'd done to zap copies of herself and Emma to the kitchen so that everyone downstairs wouldn't ask questions had worked. "Whatever."

* * *

"Have you seen Alexandra and Emma?" Lucifer asked Valerie as she came running into the kitchen, making everyone stare. "I thought they were here, but I just...I must have been hallucinating."

"No, haven't seen them," Valerie shook her head, her voice breathless. "They're probably still in bed, but we have bigger problems. Grandma escaped Hell and she's in my bedroom. She's in a body called Charlotte."

"You see, Eleanor?" Lucifer turned to his wife. "I told you finding her wouldn't be hard."

Ellie let out a relieved breathe and commenced shoveling scrambled eggs down her throat.

"Mom stressed?" Valerie asked.

"Yes, poor thing," Lucifer kissed Ellie's hair. "Just a little. Now, why is my mother here?"

"Well, I don't know," Valerie shrugged. "She hasn't told me much. She was hiding in my closet. And then she beat me up. You should talk to her."

"Yes, I suppose I should," Lucifer nodded and eyed Ellie. "Wanna come?"

"It might be too early for me to face that woman," Ellie sighed. "But I'm gonna show her that she can't intimidate me! Let's go! And then after that, we'll tell your brothers! Nice family reunion, huh?"

"Grandma is here?" Noah asked. "I...really? Where is she? I wanna meet her!"

"I don't," Angelica said. "One grandparent from Dad's side to cause me trouble is enough."

"Well, that's just as well," Valerie told her sister. "She doesn't like you. She thinks you're a square!"

"What?" Angelica asked, hopping to her feet. "How dare she say that? I'll show her who's a square!"

She stomped off, leaving the rest of the family to follow, including Michael and Gabriel who were just coming down with Lexie and Emma.

"What's going on?" Gabriel asked. "Where's everyone going? Did we miss breakfast?"

"Well, no, but...we're going to see Mum," Lucifer explained. "And if you want to stay here, you better be willing to help with whatever trouble she says she's gonna cause."

"What makes you think she wants to cause trouble?" Noah asked. "What if she just wants to party?"

"Why are you on her side anyway?" Angelica asked her brother. "She was put in Hell for a reason. She could be evil!"

"Well, you can't really go with that logic," Vincent said. "Dad was put in Hell too, and we all know why that was and it wasn't cause he actually did anything wrong."

"Thank you, Vincent," Lucifer told him. "I appreciate that."

"You're welcome," Vincent replied. He thought about going to get Lauren, who was sleeping, but then decided it would be best to keep her right where she was.

When they reached Valerie's bedroom, opened the door, and stormed in, Charlotte rose and smiled. "How nice to see everyone. This is exactly what I wanted...to be with my family..." her eyes then met Angelica and Ellie. "Even you two. I suppose you can stay."

"You can't kick me out!" Angelica told her. "I live here! My boyfriend is having issues right now, so I'm moving in for a bit which means you have to be nice to me! And just for the record, I am _not_ a square! I am just as bad as anyone! Got that?"

Everyone then looked on in surprise as she then spat in Charlotte's face and kicked her in the shin.

"Well, that was uncalled for," Charlotte said, putting a hand to her cheek and wincing.

"Oh, I don't think it was," Angelica replied, eyes narrowed. "And if the point hasn't hit home yet, I'll be happy to keep making it until it does...or until you go back to Hell where you belong!"

She then stormed out and Charlotte caught Lucifer's eye. "What an angry child. Where does it all come from?"

"Dad's put her through a lot," Lucifer replied. "And if he doesn't stop, I sense another rebellion coming. She's already shown she's not afraid to stand up to _me_."

"You wanna deal with her, or should I?" Ellie asked.

"Well, I know you'd like to, but I think I'll take this one if you don't mind," Lucifer told her and then left the rest of his family to either bond with or suffer at the hands of Charlotte, depending on the woman's whims.

* * *

He found Angelica in her room and stood in the doorway, clearing his throat until she looked up at him.

"Did you come to yell at me for spitting on Grandma?" Angelica asked.

"No," Lucifer grinned and sat down beside her. "It was pure brilliance. Do you want me to buy you a pony? Or a new car? Cause I will!"

"Silver Jag with seat warmers?" Angelica asked, grinning broadly. "Convertible, of course."

"You have such good taste!" Lucifer grinned back. "You get that from me."

"And I mean what I said about moving back in for a while," Angelica added. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it's okay!" Lucifer replied. "I mean, I got a call that the other house is practically fixed so you'll have to endure a move eventually, but...you may stay as long as you like, no problem."

"I thought so," Angelica smiled. "But I just wanted to make sure with everyone else popping up out of the woodwork all of a sudden."

"You'll always be welcome," Lucifer said firmly and hugged her. Then he let her go and sighed. "I should probably go rescue your mother from mine. It's really not fair that I get the nicest mother in law in the world and she's literally stuck with the mother in law from Hell."

"All right," Angelica replied. "You go rescue her. I'll just be here for now."

* * *

When Lucifer arrived back at Valerie's room, he saw that everyone but Valerie and Noah and Michael had been banished to the hallway.

"Why'd you all get kicked out?" He questioned. "Did she not like you? Did she not mean it when she said she wanted to bond with family?"

"Well, i believe she still does," Gabriel replied. "But now she just wants to with the 'fun' people. Don't you believe she came for a good reason, brother?"

"Oh, I don't think so!" Lucifer replied. "I think she's lying and she's up to something and _if_ she wants to bond with any of us, it comes second to whatever she's really planning."

"Maybe we should tell your father," Ellie suggested. "Lucifer, I know you don't like that, but it might be good to have HIm in our corner if your mom is up to something."

"Yes, you think he would have come over by now," Lucifer remarked. "Strange thing. Maybe he's too busy snogging Gwen to pay attention to the real trouble. Wouldn't surprise me."

But then she received another call, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw it was from Steve.

"Is...is my wife at your house by any chance? My ex-wife, I mean?"

"Yes, sir," Ellie said. "You already know. That's good. We were just going to check to see if you did."

"Oh, I've been waiting for this for months," Steve told her, his tone somber. "And now it's finally happened."

"Should we worry?" Ellie asked. "Are we all gonna _die_?"

"For now, just be on your guard," Steve warned her. "I can't always be certain what my wife has planned. Be on your guard and look out for each other while I look out for Gwen and her family because I am very certain that when she finds out about Gwen, my wife will not be happy."

"All right," Ellie said and reached for Lucifer's hand, gripping it tight as he pulled her close to himself. "We will. We promise."


	39. What You Really Want

Since he'd been kicked out of Charlotte's presence, Vincent decided to grab a plate and put some orange juice, a muffin, and an apple on it for Lauren along with some buttered toast. He carried up to the room, hoping she was up by now. She'd not been feeling well and had asked him to go to breakfast alone while she got in a little more sleep.

"Hey, Lauren!" He said as he opened the door. "I hope you're up! I got you some-" He broke off as he sniffed the smell of blood and heard a baby's whimper. He looked over to the bed and saw that his wife was naked in their bed with blood on her. And beside her on the mattress was a screeching, red, and puffy baby wrapped up tight in a towel.

"Oh, my...did you have her _now_?" Vincent asked, so stunned he was repeating himself. "When? Now? Why didn't you tell me? I feel so bad that you had to give birth alone!"

"There wasn't time for me to tell you!" Lauren assured him with a gentle smile as she continued to the bathroom to wash up. "I've been in labor since early this morning but I didn't want to worry you. I got her out just fine. Wanna see your daughter?"

"Yes," Vincent replied, going to peer down at the girl. "Hi, Sweetheart," he said and kissed her head after taking her in his arms. "We have to get you and your mommy to the hospital now, okay?" He then looked up to tell Lauren about the food he'd brought, but saw, happily enough, that she was already eating it.

After the plate was empty, Vincent zapped Lauren clean and clothed, and then they made their way through the house to the garage and Vincent's car.

"Wait a minute!" Ellie cried when she saw them. "Where are you going so fast?" Her eyes widened as Vincent turned. "Oh, my...is that a _baby_? When did that happen?"

"Not too long ago," Vincent told his mother. "We're going to the hospital now."

"Oh, well...you want me to come with you?" Ellie questioned. "I wouldn't mind. That way you can focus on your..." She looked questioningly down at the baby.

"Daughter," Lauren supplied for her.

"Really?" Ellie smiled. "How nice that Nick has a sister!"

"Oh, someone should probably go tell Nick!" Lauren realized. Vincent ran to do that while Lauren and Ellie headed to the car, and when he came to join them, they sped off to the hospital, tires squeaking as Vincent put his foot on the gas and hoped they wouldn't be stopped.

* * *

Thankfully, they got to the hospital in good time and when they got inside and explained what happened, the lady at the info desk called for Junior.

"I didn't know you dealt in obstetrics," Ellie told her father. "Do you?"

"No, but I'm free and I know where you're supposed to go," Junior replied. "Right this way."

Since Lauren was no longer in labor and the baby seemed to be in good shape, they took things at a much more leisurely pace so they could all catch their breaths and soon, Lauren was set up in a hospital room, tucked into bed as her daughter was checked out and then brought back to her.

"What are you gonna call her?" Asked the smiling nurse.

This made Lauren and Vincent look at one another. After all this time, they still hadn't settled on anything.

"We don't know yet," Lauren shrugged, feeling awful that the sweet little girl she held had no name.

"Well, what name goes well with Eleanor?" Vincent wanted to know, locking eyes with his mother.

"What about Lily?" Lauren asked. "Lily Eleanor?"

"I like it," Vincent smiled. "Lily Eleanor it is, then." He leaned down and kissed his daughter's head and then took her from Lauren as his wife yawned and closed her eyes.

"Yeah, we should probably let you rest," Ellie told her and got a nod in return. "I but now you're just realizing how exhausted you are."

"You mind if I keep her?" Vincent asked the nurse, nodding at his daughter and sitting with her on a chair by Lauren's bed. "Or do I have to give her back?"

"You can keep her for a little bit," the nurse told him. "I'll come back for her later."

"I'm gonna go get something from the cafeteria," Ellie decided. "And call your father. I think we left before I could say anything to him. Would you like a coffee or fruit or something?"

"I don't need a thing, thanks," Vincent replied, without looking at his mother at all. "I'm good."

Ellie smiled as her son looked at his daughter with a besotted expression. "You sure are," she said and left.

* * *

"Hello, Charlotte," Noah said to her as she came into the Underground. He'd decided to obey her wish not to use the G word to her face. "Welcome to my club! I honestly didn't expect to see you here!"

"I debated about coming," she said. "But I was curious about what you and my son are up to. What does one do here?"

"Well, you can dance, or play pool, or...have a drink," Noah said, and then gave her a wink. "Or if you're really good, you can do all three."

"What sort of drink is good?" Charlotte asked. "I've never had one."

"I have an idea," Noah smiled and then called for Roxie.

"What?" She asked, stomping over to the bar.

"Get my grandmother a vodka cocktail," he instructed. "I just remembered I have to make a phone call. Oh, and tell Vince we need refills on tequila and bourbon." He went off and left Roxie and Charlotte staring at one another.

"Who are you?" Charlotte asked. "Do you work for my grandson? Are you his servant?"

"No," Roxie shook her head. "I'm an employee, that's different."

"How?" Charlotte asked. "I don't see one. Am I going to get my drink, or what? He really talked it up and I want one now!"

Roxie narrowed her eyes. "You're not the sort of person who says 'please', are you?" She and Charlotte glstrf at one another for a long time as Roxie thought about how to give this woman trouble. She was just as annoying as Noah. Finally, she had it.

"I'm sorry I can't get you a drink," she said. "Unless you have some ID. It's the law." She'd never cared about that before, but Charlotte didn't know that.

"I'm the Goddess of All Creation!" Charlotte thundered and pounded on the bar. "I shouldn't be beholden to any laws! I want a drink!"

"And you'll have one when you show me some ID," Roxie told her. "It's not hard!"

In frustration, Charlotte realized that her human body made her powerless, or at least less powerful than she had been...so she couldn't smite the insolent barmaid...at least at the moment.

"Fine, you go along your way," she said. "I'll remember about that ID business next time."

"You better if you want a drink," Roxie replied.

When Noah came back, he frowned when he saw Charlotte didn't have a glass. "Why don't you have a drink?" He asked.

"That person wouldn't give me one!" Charlotte cried. "She says it's against the law, but I know she's lying just to irritate me."

"Well, technically, it's not a lie," Noah admitted. "But we don't particularly care much for that law around here. I'll get you your drink if Roxie won't."

To make up for Roxie being difficult, Noah decided to let Charlotte have as much as she wanted and soon, she was dancing on the table and men were throwing money at her.

"Having fun?" A smiling Noah asked, getting up on the table next to her.

"Oh, yes, that vodka _is_ delightful," Charlotte replied, her foot slipping as she fell into a group of men eager to catch her. "And so are men. I like it here. Can I stay?"

"Yes," Noah nodded with a grin. "As long as you want. Doesn't bother me!"

* * *

Later that night, he was coming out of the bathroom around closing time when he heard a crash from the main room of the club.

"What the hell?" He whispered, his hands forming a fireball to make the burglar extra crispy cause no one would dare rob him and live to tell about it.

Just as he turned the lights on, he noticed the person in the black jogging pants, hoodie, and tennis shoes, standing up from behind the counter, their fist holding onto the leather bag that held the money that was about to be taken to the bank.

"Oh, no, you don't!" He cried as the figure began to limp away as fast as it could. He sped in front of it, grabbed its arm and applied a bit of heat to her bare arm as she let out a scream. This went on for some time until the hood finally fell from the robber's head, revealing a young blonde woman, pretty except for the jagged red scar running down her right cheek.

"Tell me who you are!" he demanded and gave her a shake.

"Fuck you!" She said, even as she winced in pain. Then, with a grunt, she pulled herself free, kicked him in the groin, and limped out the door without the bag. He thought of going after her once he could stand up straight, but since he had his money, he decided that if she was dumb enough to come back, he would deal with her then.

* * *

"You're back late," Lucifer remarked when Noah came through the door of the house. "Everything okay? Couldn't get your grandmother to leave after last call? Be careful how much you let her drink. You can get more than you bargained for."

"Charlotte wasn't the problem," Noah replied, his dark eyes narrowing. "We were very nearly the victim of a robbery. Some limping woman with a scar. I caught her before she got away with the money, though."

"Oh, that's terrible!" Ellie said. "You aren't hurt, are you?"

"No," Noah shook his head. "She got it worse than I did. I let her off this time, but if she's dumb enough to come back and try a stunt like that again, I'm gonna kill her. Or at least injure her really bad."

"I don't think you should do that!" Ellie said. "Call the police instead and let them handle it."

"Oh, come now, Eleanor!" Lucifer told her. "We're not gonna get anything done promptly by calling the police! And the boy owns the club now, so let him do as he sees fit! And if he kills her for stealing, she'll end up with the greedy in Hell, so everyone wins!"

"Except that poor girl," Ellie remarked. "What if she's stealing because she's hungry or can't get money any other way? She doesn't deserve to die for that!"

"Well, if she's gonna steal from me, she does!" Noah said firmly.

"Hmmm..." Ellie said, pursing her lips. She didn't like this. She didn't like it one bit! And she'd make sure nothing happened to that girl, even if it killed her.

* * *

"So..." Elijah said to an exasperated Lisa. "Here is what Chef Henri is planning on serving at your engagement party. Tell me what you think!"

He handed her the list and Lisa groaned. "Doesn't really matter to me," she said. "He can do what he wants. I'm going out."

"Don't take too long!" Elijah called after her. "They're bringing cakes for you to sample in an hour!"

Lisa drove to Lucifer's house like a mad woman and knocked repeatedly on the door, then when Lee answered it, she shoved the menu in his face after forcing her way in. "My father is throwing us a stupid engagement party!" She screamed. "I'm gonna have to eat snails and it's all your fault! Tell Dad it's all a lie!"

"Can it wait?" Lee asked, a grin on his lips for some reason. "I'm expecting someone."

"Oh?" Lisa put her hands on her hips. "Who?"

The doorbell rang again and Lee opened it to reveal a dark haired, dark eyed woman in a plum colored Chanel suit who had perfectly manicured nails, also plum. She gave Lee two air kisses and he grinned at her, babbling greetings in French that made Lisa roll her eyes. Then the woman, called Beatrice, saw her over his shoulder and plunked her bags down.

"Take these to a room for me," she ordered, and when Lisa scoffed, she said to Lee, "You need a new maid, this one is terrible!"

"I'm not a maid!" Lisa cried. "I'm his fiancee!"

"Are you?" Lee asked with a grin.

"Well yes!" Lisa nodded and shoved the ring in his face. "Remember this? How could you forget, honey? You didn't have _that_ much champagne when you gave it to me!"

"I might have," he said and pulled her close to himself. "It was a happy, happy day."

"You're engaged?" Beatrice asked, her bags thudding to the floor as her jaw dropped. "What is this? You didn't mention this to me when I came!"

"Maybe he just didn't think you were important enough to know," Lisa replied. "But as long as you're here, you can come to our engagement party. Sorry you'll have to be alone, but you know how that is!"

"I would love to," Beatrice replied icily. Something was going on here. And she was going to that party to find out what it was!

"Why are we standing here?" Lee whispered in Lisa's ear. "Why don't we go upstairs and celebrate our engagement for...two or three hours?"

"Oh, you think you can do that?" Lisa asked with a grin.

"I think I can," Lee replied. "Zap up some champagne too, would you, my dear?"

Lisa did just that, her eyes on Beatrice, who was scowling, the entire time. "If you'll excuse us," she told her with a grin. "We're gonna go be alone. You can carry your own bags to your room, can't you? And we promise not to disturb you with our noise." She paused and giggled. "I mean, we'll try not to, but you know how it is."

Lee and Lisa then left Beatrice alone and headed up to his room, shutting the door and stripping off each other's clothes as they kissed soundly and then consumed a few rounds of drinks.

"I know you don't really like me as much as you say, but...I'll take this, even motivated by jealousy," he grinned. "It's better than nothing. And _awfully_ sexy!"

"I thought you'd like it," Lisa told him, her voice slurring just a little. "Now don't you say another word." She pushed him onto the mattress. "Or you'll ruin it." She kissed down his chest and then gently sucked on him as he grunted and chuckled, getting enough breath to ask a question.

"What did you really come here for?"

She waited until he climaxed to answer. "My dad is actually planning an engagement party," she said as he flipped her around so that she was underneath him and gently sucked on her nipples while rubbing her. "And I...I wanted you to see all the mess you got me into with this engagement nonsense. But now..." She moaned. "Now you got me excited about it."

"I have you excited about more than just that," Lee replied as he fingered her. "Aren't you glad you came over here now?"

"Yes," Lisa gasped. as her hips bucked forward "Oh, _hell_ , yes!"


	40. A World Turned Upside Down

"It'll be okay, Cassidy," the older man told the blonde as he tried to comfort her. "You can try again to get the money."

"Oh, of course I will!" Cassidy assured the man, pulling herself out of his grip. "I'm not gonna let a guy who's incapable of doing anything but have sex and look in the mirror get the best of me! The guy's an asshole!"

"But from the wounds you have, he's not easy to rob," the man clicked his tongue and surveyed her burns. "Wait until you heal to go out again, all right?"

"Do you honestly think I'll listen to that?" Cassidy scoffed and pointed to the scar on her cheek. "I've survived much worse. That son of a bitch doesn't scare me."

"Doesn't surprise me," her mentor replied. "But be careful. Even as strong as you are, you could still be hurt or killed. Will you do that for me, Cassidy? Do what you need to do with the man at the club, but don't be more reckless than you can help. Be smart. Especially since now he's probably ready for you. He's going to be more intent on revenge than ever!"

"Oh, I can't wait to see what he comes up with," Cassidy grinned. "I bet that whatever it is, I can deal with it easily." Cassidy then gave the older man a hug. "And I'll...I'll try and be careful," she promised him. "Or at least not get myself killed. For you, since it means so much to you, Pops. You don't have to worry. He'll probably be so busy playing with himself and kissing his reflection in the mirror that he won't see me coming."

"Thank you," Pops told her. "Thank you very much."

* * *

"What in the hell is going on here?" Roxie demanded of Noah, who was turning the staff break room at the club into something else entirely, what seemed, with its many bottles of alcohol, chains, whips, and handcuffs, to be another sexy room. "You have lots of rooms to have your dates in. You're _not_ taking our break room!"

"Oh, yes I am!" Noah said firmly. "It's for a noble cause though: to catch our burglar!"

"But why is the burglar even a problem?" Roxie wanted to know. "They didn't get away with the money!"

"I would have thought you were less naive and foolish than that!" Noah told her, grinning as he cracked a whip near by her and she flinched. "Or do you want your break room so bad that you're willing to look the other way while this establishment that you should be protecting is robbed?"

"Aren't you being a bit melodramatic?" Roxie scoffed. "We're all too strong here for a simple burglary to be a problem. Is it something else? Tell me what it is so we can work through it and the break room can be what it's supposed to be."

"Never you mind!" Noah snapped. Cause she was right; it wasn't just about the burglary; that itself was something that could be easily handled, as she'd pointed out. But the feelings...the knowledge that some _woman_ had just strode into his castle, almost taken his stuff, and then made him feel things...it was too much! He had to make it stop at any cost, even if it ended in her death! "If I have my way, I'll catch her and trap her in this room, deal with her, and then you can have your precious break room back. Be patient. But this is my place, my food, my rules...and no one can just wreck that and get away scot-free!"

"Is there gonna be a dead body involved?" Roxie asked. "Cause if there is, I would like to be warned ahead of time, especially if you're gonna rope me into helping with disposal."

"I don't know yet," Noah snapped. "It depends. Now would you go away? Don't you have a job to do?"

"I'm on a break," Roxie told him. "But fine, I'll leave. It's not like I enjoy hanging around you anyway."

"Good!" Noah snapped, his eyes red as he got the final trap set and turned to glare at her before she slammed the door closed. "Goodbye!"

* * *

His conviction that the burglar would return made Noah decide to spend nights at the club, picking the biggest, grandest rooms to bring his dates to. And for a while, nothing happened. The nights were calm and the only craziness came from the partying that Noah enjoyed.

Until, one night, the burglar returned. He almost didn't hear her because the timing of the burglary coincided with Noah's date having several loud orgasms that covered up the other noises.

Finally, it hit him what was going on and he quickly ushered his date out of the room. "Go home and I'll call you tomorrow," he ordered the well-endowed blonde with big blue eyes.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" She asked.

"Never mind, just go!" Noah cried impatiently.

Once she was gone, he ran to confront the burglar, the same woman as before. "I knew you'd come back," he said. "Were you spying on my date and me? Want a little some for yourself? I don't mind threesomes."

"When Hell freezes over," she replied.

"That can be arranged!" Noah yelled and began to run after her when she took off, forgetting about her limp. It probably wouldn't be much of a chase.

She got a surprising distance away, by one of the sofas near the front door, before her leg finally gave out. He sped over and caught her before she hit the floor. After that, they both fell back onto the bright red sofa. He held her tight and grinned down at her.

"What a shame you have that limp," he said and moved some hair out of her eyes, sucking in his breath as he noticed her scar for the first time. "I caught you way too fast. Really ruins the thrill of the chase!"

"Oh, fuck off!" the woman hissed and spat in his face, and then slapped him. "You think you're so special, but you're just like every other man!"

"Oh, I don't see why you have to be so defensive," Noah replied. "I couldn't give a damn about that leg of yours. Why would I hate something that makes it harder for you to run away? Why would I hate it at any rate?" He paused. "Besides, I'm not perfect either."

"Don't try to play the modesty game with me," Cassidy said. "I don't believe you can be modest or humble."

"I'm not kidding about my own imperfections, burglar girl. Why don't you have a look. Just try not to scream." he said and quickly showed her his supernatural appearance for the first time, charred skin and vein-y black eyes.

"Oh, damn!" She cried her eyes widening. "What...what the hell are you? You're not a demon, demons are different."

Noah paused and leaned back a little, so shocked that his face returned to human and he just stared at her. "How do you know about demons?" He asked, giving her a rough shake. "Tell me! And you better not go blabbing about what I just showed you to anyone."

"Oh, don't worry," the blonde promised. "I'm good at keeping my mouth shut, which is why I won't tell anyone about you, but I won't tell you how I know what I know either! You have your secrets and I have mine. Let's just agree on that, shall we?"

Noah stared at her, his cheek twitching in frustration as she just grinned serenely back. She was too comfortable. He couldn't have that. That would mean he didn't win! "You're coming with me!" He told her, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her along behind him. But her limp made their movements stop and start until he finally let out a growl of irritation, picked her up, put her over his shoulder, and carried her the rest of the way, using his magic to shut the door behind them, and giving Cassidy ample time to see what was up.

The sex swing, of course, was the first thing that caught her eye.

"Oh, don't even think about it!" She cried as he slapped a pair of cuffs on her while she tried to scratch out his eyes. "I know what you're planning and I'd rather die than have sex with you!"

"That can be arranged," Noah assured her, his dark eyes becoming bright for the first time in some minutes. "No skin off my nose. One less thief in the world is probably a good thing!"

Cassidy tried to hit him then, but he grabbed her wrist before her fist made contact. "Ah-ah," he said and clicked his tongue. "That's not very sportsmanlike, is it? I should just kill you right now for that." He reached out and moved some of her hair out of her eyes and away from the scar, which he moved his finger down gently, sending shivers down Cassidy's spine. "I should kill you right now," he repeated. "But it would be a waste. We should have a little fun first so you have some good last memories!"

He pulled her to him and kissed her soundly, but his hand was halfway to her butt when she kneed him in the crotch and once again, he fell to the floor, whimpering.

"You got what you want!" Cassidy said cheerfully. "I made contact with your man parts. I think I'm gonna go now. Don't get up!" She then dashed away as fast as she could, taking just enough time to fill her both her hands with money and stuff the cash in her pockets before she left, going back to Pops to tell him what happened.

It was not long after she left that Noah was finally able to stand upright. He then looked in the direction where the blond had run and growled. What was her problem? No one had ever run out on him after he'd kissed them. Maybe he just hadn't tried hard enough. She'd said he was like every other man. He wasn't and she was wrong. But she was human, and just like every other human, she had her vices. A need for contact, a need for attention. She was just like every other human, every other woman. And he would show that to her. He didn't care how long it took, or even if it killed both of them. He would win and she would lose and all would be right with his world once more.


	41. I Would Do Anything For Love

"This has been such a crazy weekend, hasn't it?" Lucifer asked Sunday morning as he turned to face Ellie in their bed and hold her close.

"Yeah," Ellie grinned and snuggled against him. "It really has."

"But since it's Sunday, you can go any time you want," Lucifer told her. "Thanks for keeping your part of the deal."

"Oh, right," Ellie sat up. "I...I said I was going to go today, that's right."

Lucifer saw her hesitate, took her hand, and kissed it. "You know you don't have to," he said. "I'm just...I made a promise to let you go today if you wanted."

"Oh, and I have to," Ellie nodded. "After breakfast, of course. I can wait until after breakfast." She quickly dressed. "And I wanna say...thanks for doubling up on the condoms...that really helps with half the problem. The other half...you can't fix though. At least not immediately."

"So what happens now?" Lucifer asked, putting on a robe. "Are you not gonna come over again?"

"Well..." Ellie thought a moment. "Now that we have a new grandchild, I might come over on the weekends. It would be only right."

"Yes, of course," Lucifer nodded, pulling her close and kissing her hair. "Come for the child, obviously."

Ellie smiled, entwining her fingers in his as they both made their way to the breakfast table. Angelica was already sitting there, her head down as she shoveled cereal into her mouth. She then looked up, swallowed, and smiled.

"Hey, Mom!" She greeted. "They're making French toast today. And biscuits and gravy, and waffles, and..." She trailed off as Ellie's stomach let out a huge growl. "Sounds like you'll want all of it!"

"Don't I always?" Ellie grinned and then sat down after Lucifer pulled out her chair.

"You _do_ have a healthy appetite," Lucifer agreed. "Don't your parents feed you?"

"Not as well as over here," Ellie replied. "You know, with Daddy being a doctor and Mom being all about health and exercise, they're more cautious about excess."

Lucifer then began to make coffee just as an exhausted Vincent dragged himself into the kitchen, his eyes puffy and his clothes covered in spit up.

"Coffee!" He cried, taking the cup that Lucifer meant for Ellie. "Thank you! For the love of Grandpa, sweet, sweet coffee!"

"I take it that it was a long night at the hospital with Lauren?" Lucifer asked knowingly and trying not to smirk.

"Yeah," Vincent nodded. "They have this thing you can do now where if your baby is in good health and you as parents are feeling up to it, you can watch your baby while still in the hospital and Lauren and I decided to. Yeah, note to self: Lily-Eleanor does not like sleeping. At all!"

"Oh, you poor guy!" Ellie replied, and kissed him. "Is Lauren just as out of it as you are?"

"Yes," Vincent replied. "She's much better with this than I am!" he sat down, gulped down the coffee, and held the cup out to his father. "More please."

"All right," Lucifer nodded. "Let me get a cup for your mother and then you'll have your refill."

"Give it to him now," Ellie insisted. "He needs it more than I do."

Vincent got four cups down before he'd had enough, ate some toast and eggs and bacon, and then ran back to Lauren after giving his mother a kiss.

"Poor Vincent," Ellie shook her head. "It's so nice to see how he's caring for his daughter so much."

"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "Indeed."

They had a bit more time with just them and Angelica before Valerie and Dexter came in for breakfast.

"This still feels kind of weird, sitting down like part of the family," He said as Valerie handed him ketchup to put on his hash browns. "But I also like it." He then looked at Ellie. "So, are you heading out or are you staying?"

Ellie sighed. "I'm heading out," she said. "Later of course, and not for too much longer, I hope."

"What's gonna bring you back?" Valerie asked and then turned to glare at her father. "You listen to her, Daddy, and you do whatever she says, okay?"

"Of course!" Lucifer agreed. "You think I like having her gone?"

"It will probably require him visiting his dad," Ellie said. "So we'll see how long it takes him to work that out."

"I can do it," Lucifer said firmly. "And I will do it. For you, Eleanor."

"Right," Ellie said, not quite believing it. "I'll believe it when I see it."

* * *

"Well look at you in your heels and little black dress," Sarah said the following Friday night as Ellie, hopping around excitedly, turned around to smile at her. "I like the shoes. You see Lucifer tonight, don't you?"

"Yes!" Ellie smiled. "I'm _so_ excited!"

"You know that he's your husband and you can go live with him any time you want," Sarah reminded her. "It's not hard."

"Did you go be with Dad?" Ellie questioned. "Did we ever run off to Europe? If you get to be stubborn, so do I!"

Sarah rolled her eyes, and as the doorbell rang, Ellie ran to answer it, stepped wrong as she reached the door, fell, and hit her head on it.

"Eleanor?" Lucifer called and jiggled the handle when he heard the thump and Ellie's cry of pain. "Are you all right?"

Ellie scooted back from the door, zapped him a key, and he let himself in, looking down at her as she lay sprawled on the floor before he scooped her up.

"My shoes made me fall and I hit my head," she explained, resting her head on his shoulder.

Lucifer grinned. "Well, it's not the first time you've fallen for me," he said with a chuckle.

"Everything okay?" Sarah asked, running into the room. "I heard a thump and a scream."

"I hit my head," Ellie explained. "Stupid shoes. I should have worn ones I was more used to, but these were so pretty!"

"And they look to have higher heels on them, don't they?" Lucifer remarked as he carried her to the sofa. "Did you do that for me?"

"Kinda," Ellie smiled and kissed him.

They sat until she got her bearings and then Sarah said, "I'm gonna have to have a dorky mom moment, and ask if I can take your picture for the mantel since you both look so nice."

"I would love that," Lucifer told her. "Would you, Eleanor?"

"Yes," Ellie nodded. "Of course." So they stood by the mantel, first in a more formal pose, but then Lucifer smooched her just as the camera flashed, which made Ellie burst into giggles.

"That's a nice picture," Sarah smiled. "I like it."

They chatted a bit longer after that and then bade Sarah farewell before heading to the car.

"So...what are we doing tonight?" Ellie asked as Dexter pulled out of the driveway. He'd offered to drive them so he could see Ellie. "Will you tell me or is it a surprise?"

"Well," Lucifer grinned. "It'll be a full night. That's all I'm saying for now."

* * *

And it was. It began with dancing to a whole CD's worth of soft jazz. Then, after dancing, Lucifer gave Ellie a choice. "We can have dinner now or we can go to bed for a bit now and then eat. It just depends on what you want."

"Well, now that's a tough choice," Ellie sighed as she kicked off her shoes. "Do I listen to the hungry instinct or the horny instinct?"

"If you listened to hungry first you'd have more energy for horny," Lucifer pointed out. "But that's just a suggestion."

"And a very good one!" Ellie agreed. "Let's eat first!"

So they had a big dinner and ate a black forest cake while watching a movie, and then, stuffed full of food, they began making out, and by the time they reached their bedroom, they were both naked. They went at it against the wall for a while before he picked her up and carried her to their bed, where they paused for a few seconds to take a breath before he began tasting her, his hands going all over her body.

"Not wasting time, are you?" Ellie panted. "Good. Haven't done this in a week!"

"Oh, neither have I, darling," Lucifer assured her. "I need this as much as you do!"

After she climaxed, he kissed her soundly and then buried himself inside her as she threw her arms around his neck and played with his hair.

"Oh, yes!" She breathed. "Oh, _yes_!"

The mattress made a loud noise and they both paused to pray that the bed wasn't broken, and when, to their relief, everything seemed to be in one piece, they rested in each other's arms for a bit.

"You need another snack?" Lucifer questioned. "I can get you one."

"No, I'm good for now," Ellie assured him and nibbled on his fingers before kissing a particular spot on his neck she liked and breathing in the scent of his cologne. "I mean, if we keep going on like this, I'll need to refuel eventually, but I'm good for now. I ate a lot at dinner and dessert.

"I saw that," he grinned and pulled her close to himself. "You're well-prepared. I'm proud of you."

* * *

Lucifer hadn't seen Ellie for a while the next day and he was beginning to miss her. After finding out from Dexter that she was in her library, he headed straight there, finding a note on the door: "I'm in here with baby. Please knock softly."

He did and then let himself in, finding Ellie sitting cross-legged on the floor with baby Lily Eleanor in one arm and a book in the other. He gently cleared hs throat and she paused reading to smile at him.

"Hello," she said.

"Hello," Lucifer replied and stepped closer. "What are you ladies up to?"

"Well, I needed someone to read to," Ellie explained. "And Lauren and Vincent needed sleep, cause apparently, Miss Lily Eleanor is _still_ not a sleeper. So it all worked out." She sighed and looked down at her red-headed granddaughter. "She's so cute! It's a shame she's not gonna be little for very long."

That gave Lucifer an idea...an idea that would bring Ellie back for good, not just for the weekend. And it wouldn't even require him to visit his father. And then if that didn't end up working, then, as a last resort, he would go see Dad and ask if he could do anything to fix Eleanor.

* * *

"So Eleanor is still living at her parents' house?" Amy asked at her and Lucifer's appointment the next day. "How do you feel about that, Lucifer?"

"Well, I hate it, naturally," Lucifer told her. "I miss her a lot. But she'll come back once I deal with the issue of making it so we can have sex without getting her pregnant."

"And just how do you plan on doing that?" Amy asked, an unsettling feeling forming in her stomach. "Tell me now."

"Well, I'm gonna get a vasectomy!" Lucifer explained. "Eleanor gets to stop worrying, I don't have to face my father...everyone wins!" He then got up and ran for the door.

"Wait a minute!" Amy cried. "Are you seriously so intent on not facing your father that you'd let some stranger possibly make you impotent instead? Have you lost your mind?"

But he didn't answer. He was too far away to hear. Thanking Steve that she wasn't a doctor or therapist and barred from sharing troubling news like this because of doctor-patient confidentiality, she called Dexter.

"Yes?" He said. "What's wrong? Did Lucifer have a breakdown during his session? Do you need help?"

"Well, he's decided to get a vasectomy in the hopes that it will lure Ellie back home!" Amy cried. "You better tell her as fast as you can so the two of you can stop him from doing something so stupid!"

Dexter didn't even say anything else. He ended the call and then called Ellie, quickly explaining the situation, and hoping she'd be able to stop him in time.

* * *

"Don't you touch him!" Ellie cried as she strode into the doctor's office and both Lucifer and the doctor stared at her in shock. "There are only two people on this earth allowed to do anything with Lucifer's man parts and you are not one of them. It's him and me and I don't agree with whatever he's doing here!"

"Why not?" Lucifer asked as he rose to his feet. "I'm just trying to make it so you don't get pregnant cause once that happens, you'll come home."

"I _want_ to get pregnant!" Ellie said. "I _want_ to have babies and be a mother, so please don't mess with that. I want to be able to have kids that grow at a normal pace. I want to take time to actually enjoy motherhood and revel in my children's first steps and first words, instead of having a baby, them growing up in two months, having another, repeat the process...it's all so mechanical and I can't do it anymore. I know you won't be happy to hear this, but if you want to fix it, you'll have to see your father." She sighed. "But if you don't want to, I understand. I know facing him is hard for you." Then she peered up at him, her eyes as big as they could go, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout, and even a tear or two rolling down her cheek.

"Oh, damn!" Lucifer sighed and gave her a hug. "You manipulative person, you. You're lucky I love you so much."

* * *

Lucifer stood outside Steve's house, reaching for the doorbell several times and then pulling back as if touching it would burn him. He wondered what was taking Dad so long to let him in. He had to know that he was out here.

Finally, he took a deep breath, rang the doorbell, and almost immediately, the door opened.

"I wondered how long it would take you to ring the bell, Samael," Steve told him. "Please, come in."

"Are you telling me you were just standing by the door the whole time?" Lucifer asked as he crossed the threshold. "I've been out here for ages!"

"Well, that was your choice," Steve replied. "I wasn't just going to open the door and force you to come in. Now, do you want to go through the song and dance where I make you explain why you came, or do you want me to just give you the potion for Eleanor and then we part ways?"

"You...you actually have a potion for me?" Lucifer asked in surprise. "And it will...help Eleanor with her problem? Not just make more problems for me?"

"I _swear_ it will help Eleanor, and by extension, you," Steve assured him. "I meant to give it to you after Angelica was born cause then the spell to alter Eleanor's DNA had served its purpose, but I forgot." He produced a bottle of blue liquid and shook it. "But better late than never, I guess." He held it out and Lucifer stepped back.

"What...what do I have to give you in return?" He asked. "What's your price? You want me to come to dinner with you and Gwen every Friday or something?"

"Well, that would be nice if you wanted to," Steve replied. "But this is to right a wrong we did against Eleanor. There is no price for it."

"Oh, no!" Lucifer replied. "I won't just take something for nothing. That's...I don't trust that. If you want me to come to dinner with you and Gwen, fine, I will. But Eleanor comes too!"

"All right," Steve shrugged and grinned. "I think that would be wonderful. See you Friday. I think we're having chicken. Oh, and give Eleanor my best, would you?"

Lucifer sighed. "Th-th-thank you for this," he said, looking into Steve's eyes as he got the words out. "Thank you for Eleanor and everything about her."

"You're welcome, son," Steve said, reaching out and touching Lucifer on the shoulder. "See you Friday."

Lucifer nodded and turned to stride toward the door, giving Gwen a quick 'Hello' on his way out, the potion resting safely in his jacket pocket.

It wasn't until he was outside that he realized what he'd agreed to, groaning loudly. "Damn," he whispered. "That sneaky..." Oh, well," he told himself as he headed back to the car. He had Eleanor to keep him company and the potion that would bring her back home for good. All in all, it could have been worse.

* * *

"Lucifer?" Junior asked in surprise when he answered Lucifer's knock. "Are you looking for Ellie?"

"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "Is she here?"

"In her room," Junior replied, clutching Juliette just a little tighter as he stepped back to allow Lucifer entrance into the house. "She's been keeping to herself a lot lately so approach with caution."

"I will," Lucifer assured him as he made his way toward the stairs. "Thank you."

When he reached Ellie's room, he found that the door was closed and locked, so he knocked gently and called out her name.

"What do you want, Lucifer?" She called back. "It's not the weekend, so unless you went and saw your dad and have some good news for me, we have no business with each other."

"I did get the stuff from him," Lucifer assured her. "And if you let me in, I'll give it to you."

He then stepped back and waited, and a few seconds later Ellie, with eyes narrowed, opened the door, but blocked the doorway. "Before I let you in, I have to see it with my own eyes," she said. "Show it to me."

So Lucifer pulled the blue liquid out and showed it to her. "Here it is," he told her. "The answer to all your problems."

"Come in," Ellie told him after eying it for a few seconds. "Please."

So he did and then handed her the bottle. She studied it some more and then grabbed her phone.

"I know you're not one to lie, but I just...I have to check this out," she told him as she punched in Steve's number. "I hope you understand."

"Whatever you need to do," Lucifer shrugged, although he _was_ a bit irritated. He'd gone to see his father for her and now she wasn't believing him? How unfair!

"Hi, Steve!" Ellie greeted him brightly. "Did Lucifer come by and get a potion from you to help me? He did? Thanks! It's nice to talk to you too! Oh? Lucifer and I are coming to have dinner with you and Gwen on Fridays from now on? How lovely! Can't wait!" She then ended the call and smiled at Lucifer before opening the potion and downing in one gulp. Then she felt warmth and contentment in her body.

"How are you feeling?" Lucifer asked. "Not bad?"

"No," Ellie smiled. "I'm feeling pretty good, actually. I wonder if the potion worked."

"Well, there's only one way to see," Lucifer told her. "You wanna try and make a baby?"


	42. On The Fence

"Michael, what do you want?" Lucifer asked as he came to meet his brother in the living room with Ellie on his heels. "What would possibly make you want to come here? You know I don't really like you being around Emma."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that because I haven't been, brother!" Michael snapped. "And it's nice to know I don't even warrant so much as a 'Hello' from you!"

"He meant to say it," Ellie broke in quickly. "We're glad to have you here."

"Thank you," Michael told her and then turned back to Lucifer. "Yes, I've stayed away from Emma, but that's made everything else be awful! I've not had a satisfactory night since I left her! I...I..." he paused and took a deep breath before whispering, "I can't even get it up!"

"Oh, are you in trouble with Grandpa because you're not with the person he wants you to be with?" Angelica asked, having heard Michael's voice and feeling she had something to add to this conversation.

"Maybe," Michael shrugged and gave a resigned sigh. The whole family was getting involved, oh joy. "What do you know about it?"

"A bit," Angelica replied knowingly. "At least he hasn't made anyone die on you yet. Has he?"

Michael's eyes widened when he heard this. "Dad killed someone because you weren't dating the person he wanted you to?"

"Well, I don't know that for sure," Angelica admitted. "But it can't be a coincidence that I go out with two guys who aren't Sammy just as Grandpa is pushing me at Sammy and then the other guys drop dead out of nowhere. Don't you think?"

"Could be," Michael shrugged. "It's not like he's never made those suffer who've displeased him before." He paused and cleared his throat. "Now, back to _my_ problem!"

"Oh, yes," Lucifer grinned. "Can you tell me what that is again? After all this I forgot."

Michael glared at him. "You know perfectly well what it is. You just want me to repeat it so you can laugh at me."

"Well, of course," Lucifer confirmed. "So go on...say that you can't get it up again!"

"Oh, Lucifer, don't tease him," Ellie reprimanded gently. "It's not like you've never had an off night."

"Hey, was it really necessary for you to say that out loud in front of people, Eleanor?" Lucifer cried as Michael smirked and Angelica made a face.

"Okay, I'm out of here. I don't want to be here for this particular line of discussion. I'd rather listen to Valerie tell me that we should go to the adult toy store. And that discussion was hard enough the first time."

"You and your sister have been to a porno store to get stuff for you?" Lucifer asked. "Why?"

"Cause it's been a while for me and I don't want to go back to Sammy yet, but I'm starting to get twitchy," Angelica sighed. "Damn it all!" She gave a resigned sigh and strode off.

"You think we should go after her?" Ellie asked.

"You do that," Lucifer replied. "I'm taking my dear brother to the Underground to see if I can't get him liquored up. Perhaps if he's not thinking and just doing, he'll have better luck."

"Really?" Michael asked. "You'd do that for me?"

"Anything so I won't have to hear about your difficulties," Lucifer said. "Let's go." They (including Ellie because she didn't want Lucifer giving poor Michael any more trouble), headed to the car and on the way, were treated to a loud discussion between Valerie and Angelica, who were speaking loudly.

"Oh, come now, Angie," Valerie said. "He might be evil, but he's still hot with working man parts and isn't that the most important thing right now?"

"But you've never liked Sammy," Angelica pointed out. "Why are you siding with him now at the worst possible time? He terrifies me, you know."

"I'm sorry," Valerie apologized. "I didn't know it was that bad. But I just...I can't help but find him a bit more interesting now."

"Isn't it nice when they get along?" Lucifer asked Ellie before crowding Michael into the car and then driving them off to the Underground where he would hopefully, finally, get a date. Or at least a good tumble. He could manage without Emma. He could, whether Dad liked it or not.

* * *

"Oh, come on!" Michael cried as his latest date got up to leave and he remained naked and unfulfilled in his bed in one of the rooms at the Underground that were used for partying and trysts. "This doesn't happen all the time, just one bit of bad luck! Give me another chance. You won't regret it."

"I don't have the time," the woman replied. "You're not the only man whose number I got last night and I want to get laid before next year, which will not be the case if I stay here with you!" She then strode out, blonde curls bouncing on her shoulders. It was the sight of the curls that did it. As long as he imagined them belonging to a certain demon, he was able to get it up just fine. He was about to call the woman back, but then decided against it. He couldn't handle any more humiliation tonight. He then did the only thing he could do: he got dressed, drove to Lucifer's, and climbed up the side of the house to Emma's window. When she opened it, he boosted himself inside, bounded to her in two steps, and grabbed her to kiss her soundly.

"What the hell?" Emma asked and pushed him back. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see you!" He told her with a chuckle. "You look so beautiful! I thought it would be a nice surprise for me to come! Hope I didn't wake you...can I borrow some pajamas? Oh, never mind, I can just sleep naked. Which side of the bed do you sleep on again?"

"I-what?" Emma asked, her face, which had been full on gray-skinned, red-eyed demon because Michael's sudden appearance had surprised her, having reverted back to that of a sleepy and disconcerted human once she saw it was just him. "I'm only half awake and you're saying a bunch of words. What do you want from me after not being near me for weeks?"

"I just came to change that," he said, pulling her close, inhaling the smell of her neck and feeling hardness in his pants. There it was. He knew it.

Emma gave him a good hard slap. "If that's your opener when you came here in the hopes of getting close to me, get out and get out now before I toss you right out the window! I'll do it, you asshole! Show you to mess with my beauty sleep to satisfy your own selfish needs!" She began pushing him toward the window. "And to think I was _almost_ happy to see you!"

"You still can be!" Michael cried, and for the second time said that loathsome sentence: "Just give me a chance!" He'd never had to work this hard to get a woman in bed before. "Seriously, isn't there a _small_ part of you, a tiny, microscopic part, that needs a little something something?" As she stopped to think about this, he took her in his arms again and nibbled on her earlobe. "Just let me do this and then you can throw me out with all the gusto you like, although you probably won't want to."

"We'll see about that," Emma replied. "And we might as well since you woke me up. I'm not gonna be able to sleep anyway."

Michael licked his lips. Not the most gracious acceptance he'd ever had, but at the rate they were going, it was better than nothing. He made sure her blinds were closed, then led her to bed, and pulled down the elastic neck of her pajama top, sucking gently on her nipples until she gasped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hand move down toward the band of her pajama bottoms and just before it slipped under them, he grabbed it and kissed it.

"No, no, you don't need to do that," he reminded her. "I'm here. I can do it for you."

"I know but you were busy elsewhere,' Emma panted, her voice picking up. "I was just getting started for you."

"Well, how kind." Michael grinned a grin that made her tingly between her legs. She bit her bottom lip and began pulling at the elastic.

"Get 'em off!" Emma begged. "Please!"

"No problem," Michael assured her. He grinned when he saw she wasn't wearing anything underneath them. "Are you _sure_ you weren't waiting for me?" He asked.

"Will you just do it?" Emma cried. "We're not here to chat, we're here to fuck!"

"Well, fine," Michael scoffed and undressed. "Way to make me feel like a piece of meat!"

"Welcome to the world of probably every woman you ever slept with!" Emma countered. "Or should I say 'person' instead?"

"No, you can say 'woman'," Michael replied. "It's your dad father you'd have to say 'person' for."

"Really?" Emma asked. "Huh." She paused and shook her head, her curls bouncing on her shoulders. "Never mind. Where were we?"

"Here," Michael replied. "I'll get to it just like you want me to."

"Good," Emma spat and then squealed and held onto him as he buried himself inside her with enough power to make her hit her head on the headboard. "Ow."

"Well, I would have been gentler, but you wanted me to rush," Michael pointed out.

"Okay, you can be a bit gentler," Emma replied.

So his thrusts were gentler after that as he kissed her and played with her curls, and once they had climaxed and he'd rolled beside her, Emma said, "All right, I'm good. Get out now."

"Wait, what?" Michael asked. "That's it?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "That's it."

But Michael refused to move, much to her surprise. So she used her magic to open the door and then zapped him to the threshold before literally kicking him out so that he sprawled on the hallway floor.

"Hey!" He protested. "I don't know what's going on here, but I hate it!"

"That's what you get for coming here for your own personal gain," Emma shouted, adjusting her shirt. "I shouldn't be surprised that after weeks of nothing from you, the only reason I see you is because you want to have sex. You should be ashamed of yourself!" She could feel a tear trying to get out, but she held it in. There was no way she'd let him see her cry. None! She slammed the door in his face and threw herself on the bed, bursting into tears, which, luckily, Michael didn't hear, cause once the door closed, he was gone.

After she'd cried herself out, Emma left her room and went to Lucifer and Ellie's room, knocking and then stepping back when Lucifer, robe on, answered the door. "Are you all right, darling?" He asked. "Is my brother causing you trouble? Do I need to smite him?"

"No," Emma sniffled and tried to give him a smile. "It's just...is Ellie awake? I know it's terrible timing and she's probably asleep but I really want to talk to her."

"All right, come in," Lucifer nodded. "I'll rouse her for you."

So Emma came in and waited for Lucifer to wake Ellie up. It took some time, but soon, the sisters were in the kitchen talking.

"Sorry I interrupted your sleeping," Emma apologized as she saw Ellie yawn. "But Michael finally showed his stupid face in my room after weeks of nothing and I just...it was only because he wanted to have sex with me. That's it! He's a complete asshole when you would think angels should be nicer than that. And to top it off, I gave in. I mean, I kicked him out right after, but..." She sighed. "I'm so _weak!"_ She then frowned at Ellie, who was snorting into her coffee as she tried to hold in a laugh but failed miserably, her dark eyes sparkling. "What's so funny?" Emma demanded. "Stop laughing!"

"I just...I'm sorry," Ellie apologized after finally getting a breath. "It's just that...all this is so familiar. I've been where you've been. I sounded exactly like you once. I even left Lucifer for a bit after the twins were born. I left and I originally planned never to cross the threshold of his house again."

"You did?" Emma asked, her jaw dropping a little. "But you two love each other _so much_!"

"We do, but it took time!" Ellie said. "Lucifer had jerk-like facade at first cause he just...didn't know how to handle a deep attachment to someone, especially someone that his dad put in his path. Still struggles a bit with that sometimes. I don't doubt Michael is the same way. I know he's a pain in the butt, but if you just give him a chance...if you're patient with him, it'll get better. It'll all be worth it. Of course, if you're truly opposed to the idea, don't listen to me. I wouldn't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. But if you're on the fence...I'd give it another go. There are things you like, right?"

"Yeah," Emma sighed. "He can be really good, which makes when he's not all the harder."

"It'll be okay," Ellie said and gave her sister a hug. "Things will work out for you."

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Thanks, I hope so."

* * *

"What is this surprise you have for me?" Lexie asked Gabriel as they drove to another one of Lucifer and Ellie's houses where they'd stuck Charlotte because neither one wanted to deal with her anymore and she admitted she'd behave better if she had her own space. "And why the hell did you buy me this dress for it? I don't wear dresses!" Gabriel hadn't told her any specifics about the trip, just that he wanted to go for a drive and to wear the green dress cause she looked pretty in it.

"Well, I think you look lovely," Gabriel told her, his eyes on the knee length green dress for a minute. "And it's not so bad. You can move freely in it. I thought it would make a good impression on my mother."

Lexie froze. " _You're taking me to meet your mother_? Why? I _told_ you we're not boyfriend and girlfriend. And I'm only gonna be nice to her when she's nice to me. If she's gonna treat me like crap, I _will_ respond in kind...I don't care if you think that's a bad idea."

Gabriel clutched the steering wheel tight, glad that Charlotte didn't live in Lucifer and Ellie's main house because he had a feeling things were about to get very messy and they would probably be lucky to leave with the house in one piece.

They drove in silence for a little while and then Lexie asked, "Are you introducing me to your mother because you _want_ us to be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Gabriel scoffed and tried not to let too much emotion show. "No, what would make you say that? Why would I want something from you that you clearly don't?"

"Why would you take me to meet your mother if you didn't want it?" Lexie asked. "Stop messing around and just be honest with me. Any other way of behaving really annoys me!"

"All right," Gabriel told her. "I-I kind of want, maybe, sort of, if you can..I want us to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Okay?"

"Okay," Lexie got out. "I'll think about if your mother is someone I want to be attached to in the long run and give you an answer once all this mess is over. Is that fair?"

"Yeah," Gabriel nodded. "That's fair."

* * *

They reached Charlotte's house and knocked on the door with Lexie actually reaching out to hold Gabriel's hand while they waited. It took Charlotte a bit to answer and when she finally did and Lexie strode inside, she asked, "What took you so long? It's about time you answered the door!" As Gabriel looked on in horror, shook his head, and mouthed 'Stop! Stop!'.

"I will not!" Lexie shook her head. "I'll say what I want!"

"Where did you find this person, son?" Charlotte asked, a small grin on her lips. "I didn't think you'd like someone like her at all. How interesting."

"He's obliged to look after me," Lexie replied. "I don't like it any more than he does. And before you go on a rant about how much you don't want me here, I didn't exactly agree to come. Gabriel didn't even say where we were going until the car was already moving."

"You don't hold back," Charlotte observed, studying her. "Most people would for fear of how I would respond. But I don't scare _you_ , do I?"

"Maeve is her mother," Gabriel reminded her.

Charlotte made a face. "That creature reproduced? Somebody wanted it? How shocking!"

"Hey!" Lexie cried and punched Charlotte in the nose. "That's my mother you're talking about. She's dead now and I won't have her spoken of that way!" She then turned on her heel as Charlotte got to her feet. "I've had enough," she told Gabriel. "I can't do this anymore. I'd like to leave."

"Wait," Charlotte called as they made their way to the door. "I just...Gabriel..."

"What?" Gabriel asked tiredly. "She has a point, Mother. No more insults. No more snide remarks."

"I just...I want to say that I'm...I'm impressed," Charlotte got out. "She wouldn't say it in front of me, but I can tell that in her own way, this girl cares for you. And besides that, she's got spunk, not like that insipid woman Lucifer married. So I...I suppose that I should...apologize for what I said about Maeve. Can't say I liked her since our relationship consisted of her torturing me, but...she made a daughter I can stand and who I hope, eventually, to have a better relationship with."

"Since you'll be seeing me during holidays, I think it would be best if we all got along," Lexie agreed as Gabriel smiled and made a motion of triumph behind her back. "And the apology is a start."


	43. Coming At It From A New Angle

"No money yet?" Asked her neighbor, the old geezer that the kids liked to tease, as Cassidy slowly and carefully made her way down the stairs that led to the underground neighborhood where she lived. It was in an area that had been abandoned after being bombed during some war. Cassidy had never been much for history so she couldn't be more specific. All she knew was that it had been abandoned in a war and Pops had chosen it specifically because it was full of underground bunkers and hiding places where they could all live without being discovered.  
"Hey, you know, Pops is gonna send you away if you don't get that money," the man continued to press her. "We all have to do our share and you're slacking off."  
"Oh, shove it, Busby!" Cassidy snarled at the bewhiskered man in the newsboy cap with the glaucoma in one eye. He was lazy as all get out, but he liked to make it his business to point out the faults of others. Pops would never kick her out. He understood.  
"Don't listen to him," her roommate, Marie, said, her blue eyes bright as she took Cassidy's arm and led her back to their living space, her bright pink hair back in a bun. She was one of the neighborhood's nurses and had moved in with Cassidy after she had been hurt. "You know he'd never do that. And we know you're trying."  
"Hi, Aunt Cassidy," greeted Marie's little son Willie. He was not yet four years old, and enjoyed showing off his demon face at the most unexpected moments. Seeing someone with nothing but holes for eyes when you least expected it was something of a shock. But he was human looking now. "Do you need something warm for your knee? And Mommy made soup!"  
Cassidy patted the red-haired boy. "Both of those things would be lovely, Willie. Thank you."  
"You're welcome," the boy told her as he went and got her some soup and Marie got her a heating pad.  
"You'll get the money tomorrow, I promise. It'll be okay." Marie then went to answer a knock on the door, letting in a man who had a black eye and an arm hanging at a weird angle. "Oh, dear, Roger," she clicked her tongue at the sight of the man who was her lover and Willie's father. "Fighting again? I told you to be careful!"  
"I almost got robbed, Marie," Roger explained as she began to wrap his arm. Even though he was clearly in pain and had been through a terrible fight, his blue eyes were bright. "I had to keep what was mine." He gave Cassidy a smile and said, "No money yet? You'll get it. If anyone can rob a rich bastard, it's you!"  
"Thanks for the praise," Cassidy said before taking a mouthful of the soup, which was more of a beef stew, and some cocoa. "I'll have to try a new approach, though. What I've been doing doesn't seem to be working."

* * *

"What was that noise?" Ellie asked after shooting up in bed thanks to the sound of a door opening. She shook her sleeping husband. "Lucifer, wake up!"

"Wait, what?" Lucifer asked.

"Someone came in!" Ellie cried, getting out of bed. "We should investigate!"

"Oh, please don't worry, Eleanor!" Lucifer sighed. "Remember that we have security!"

But Ellie, with a fireball forming in her fists, went to confront the intruder.

Groaning, Lucifer followed.

However, when they reached the kitchen, they saw that the person who had come in was Noah.

"Please don't set me on fire," he said. "I'm your son. Sorry I came in at a weird time." He said this with one side of his mouth up.

"It's okay," Ellie said, taking a deep breath. "Why don't you sit down?" She noticed he had a smile on his face, a look similar to the one that Lucifer had when he looked at her. "Were you out with a girl? Did you have a date?"

"In a sense," Noah grinned. "I'm gonna kidnap my burglar. I was plotting and waiting for her to show up, but she didn't."

Ellie sighed then, putting her head in her hands. "That wasn't exactly what I had in mind. This is counterproductive, you know." She paused. "Unless by 'kidnap' you mean buy her flowers and take her out to dinner. That I would support."

"He shouldn't do that without demanding a little justice first!" Lucifer proclaimed. "Just because someone has an 'oh-poor-me' story, when they do something legitimately wrong, that story should not give them a pass."

"I'm not saying he should completely let her get away with what she's done," Ellie corrected. "But that, unless she's completely dangerous and unpredictable, which I don't think is true since we seem to be dealing with nothing but petty thievery, there are better ways to get her to make up for what she's done than hurting her." She leaned forward and looked her son. "You have to promise me you'll at least give her a chance to explain herself." She grabbed his wrist and squeezed hard enough to make him wince as her eyes went vein-y. "I don't want you to leave until you promise me that."

"Okay, okay!" Noah promised, leaning back a little. "I promise I'll wait until she makes a move before I take action against her. Will you let go of me now? I'm starting to hurt."

"Down, Eleanor," Lucifer added and came to actually detach Ellie's fingers from Noah's wrist. "At ease, soldier."

"Right," Ellie took a deep breath and awkwardly patted Noah on the shoulder. "Sorry about that, son."

It's okay," Noah replied, moving his wrist back and forth and then standing up. "Good night. Sorry again for disturbing you."

"Goodnight!" Ellie called after him. "I hope I didn't hurt you too bad." Then she looked at Lucifer. "He's okay, right? I didn't hurt him so bad."

"I don't think you did but it was a bit alarming all the same," Lucifer replied. "For him, I suppose it was. Can we go back to bed now since all is well?"

"Yes," Ellie nodded and stood up. "We can go back to bed now." But even as she did that, she couldn't help thinking of the burglar and just wondering what would happen to her, especially if she was foolish enough to do more than just steal from Noah.

* * *

"Well, well, well," Noah said as he came out of the bathroom and found Cassidy making out with a man, her hand creeping into his back pocket and grab his wallet. He'd been waiting for a moment like this so he could finally be free of the promise he made his mother and take some action against the woman who was sabotaging his club. "Stealing from customers since you know I won't let you take from me?"

"Oh, fuck off!" She said and pushed the guy away after resentfully handing him his wallet back. "Why can't you just let me be and mind your own damn business?"

"Because it's my club and I'm responsible and I can't have you stealing!" Noah replied. But I'll give you money if you need it." He pulled her close. "And if you want to stick your hand down my pocket, I'll let you do that too."

Cassidy gasped as he slipped his hand under her shirt and stroked the bare skin. "You have two choices: either come to a room with me, or get out."

She locked eyes with him for a few seconds, turned on her heel, began hobbling away, and then Noah came and grabbed her, putting her over his shoulder as she protested and he carried her off to his room.

* * *

"You know, it's not really a choice if you pick me up and carry me somewhere," Cassidy complained as he set her down on the floor by the bed. "You saw me run away! I chose to leave!"

"Well, why do you think I carried you off?" Noah questioned. "I want to know things about you, burglar girl. I can't afford for you to be a mystery anymore. Now will you tell me voluntarily or do I have to make you?"

Her eyes widened and she let out a squeak, backing up until her legs hit the bed and gravity brought her down to sit. He got down on his knees in front of the bed and pulled up the leg of her jeans so that he could look and see if there were any signs of why exactly she limped. There was evidence of angry red scar just above and below her knee. It was as if the kneecap had been broken and improperly set. No wonder she limped. He looked up at her for a moment and saw her wince, so he grinned at her and kissed her knee and both sides of her leg as she let in a breath.

"You say you want to leave," he told her as they locked eyes. "But is that what you _really_ desire?"

"No," Cassidy shook her head.

"I knew it," he said. "Tell me what you want."

She fell forward into his arms and he held her tight. "You," she breathed as she struggled in his grip. "I want you. And I hate you for making me admit it."

She started to turn away, but he took her chin in his hand, gently moving it back so she was facing him. Then their faces moved closer and closer until, just as their lips were about to meet, she slapped him so hard his head went backward and his cheek turned red.

"Seriously?" He groaned and put a hand to his face. "That wasn't nice."

He tried to kiss her again, but again, she pulled away, shaking her head insistently. "You really are an ass, aren't you?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Don't you know that no means no?"

"But you said you wanted me," Noah reminded her. "Send mixed messages much?" He paused, taking another stab at it. "Fine," he told her. "If you don't want to kiss, we'll talk instead." He locked eyes with her. "What's your name, because I doubt you want me to just continue thinking of you as my lady."

"Oh, you do think of me that way?" Cassidy asked. "Well, stop."

"Tell me your name then," he said a little more forcefully than he meant to.

"Cassidy," she blurted out. "My name is Cassidy."

"See now, was that so hard?" Noah asked and finally sat back to give her some air. "But you're still my lady, Cassidy. Now let's see...what else do I wanna know...?"

"Don't..." Cassidy shook her head, scared as hell that he would make her reveal the truth about her home and everyone who lived there, thus jeopardizing Pops' whole operation. "Don't ask me any more questions, please!"

"All right, all right," He nodded and pushed her pants leg up again to gaze at her kneecap. "What happened here? Who's the cowardly monster that did this to you?"

"I told you, no more questions," Cassidy replied. "Besides, I tried to rob you, why would you want to help me?"

"I don't want to help you," Noah told her, taking her hand and kissing the palm. "I want to _be_ with you. I want to have _all_ of you. I don't want to just throw some money at you and leave you alone. How will that help either of us?"

"Oh, stop!" Cassidy protested. "You don't want me! I've seen the women that buzz around you! Why would you want a thief with a disfigured leg and a limp when you can have a model who's got perfect legs for days?"

Noah grinned. "I would try and explain it to you, but I doubt you'd really understand. I bet you'd think I was crazy. But...the thing is that those women, I have a feeling that they don't choose to like me. They don't really like me. They just look at my face and swarm. Now you don't like me either, at least not now, but...that could change, couldn't it?"

"Maybe," Cassidy said. "I don't know." She rested her head on his shoulder and took a few deep breaths. He smelled awfully good. And he had soft skin and his hair...he had nice, fluffy, full hair. She reached up and tousled it, then jumped back when she was zapped by static electricity. "Ow," she said.

"Sorry," he apologized. "You wanna try and stand up? I bet it's not good for you to be putting so much weight on your knee like that."

"No, it's fine, it doesn't hurt," she insisted. "At least not that much, anyway. Not as much as usual."

"Even so, I think...I think I should move you," Noah told her, picking her up, taking off her shoes and socks and massaging her feet before tucking her in.

"You don't have to do this," Cassidy told him. "I'm not sleepy. This bed is comfy though." She took a bit of sheet in her fist. "Is this silk? I like it, it's soft."

Noah got close to her ear. "If you let me undress you the rest of the way, you can feel that silk all over your body."

"Okay," Cassidy agreed. "It's...it's been awhile for me."

Noah grinned. "I figured it was." He undressed her the rest of the way and then undressed himself, then slowly and carefully rubbed the white silk sheets over her body.

"That's nice," she said as she closed her eyes. "Please keep doing that. I like it!"

"I'll be gentle," he promised. "Unless you don't want me to."

She opened her eyes as he continued to stroke her bare skin with the sheet and said, "I have a feeling that if I only had you be gentle, I'd be getting only part of the experience, right? I have a high pain tolerance and, weirdly enough, I feel safe enough with you, so...do what you want. Remember, I stole from you. Don't go soft on me now."

"So...you're giving me permission to punish you?" Noah questioned. "You admit you did me wrong?"

"We all do what we have to to survive," Cassidy pointed out. "I don't regret it for a minute, but I know I wasn't on the level, so...I accept that I deserve some sort of payback."

Noah eyed her complacent face. He'd waited so long to have her in a position where he could do exactly what she was saying but now...now some of the thrill had been sucked out of it. Where was the satisfaction in vengeance when you have permission? People cowering in fear was part of the fun of it all.

"I'm _waiting_!" Cassidy trilled. "Don't tell me you're wimping out now because if you are, I'm gonna put my clothes on and leave."

"Oh, no you are not!" Noah replied and zapped handcuffs on her. "You're staying right here until I tell you you can go...which is going to be never, in case you're wondering." He began gently biting the skin on her neck and thighs and she said, "Oh, so I'm a prisoner now?"

"Don't think of it that way," Noah told her and then began sucking on her nipples. "Think of it as your being my special guest. That's not so bad, is it? I bet it's a lot nicer than where you usually live."

"In a purely aesthetic sense, that's true!" Cassidy gasped. "But I...I like it there. There are so many people who...oh, gosh!" He had given her nipples a good, hard squeeze, sending pain shooting through her body. It was a good pain, though. A wonderful pain followed by warmth.

The gasp had left her mouth open, something Noah immediately took advantage of, kissing her deeply and giving her a good hard rub as she was freed from the cuffs and pulled his hair. "Yes!" She cried. "Yes!"

After her orgasm, he locked eyes with her and took her face in his hands. "How's your knee?" He questioned. "Is it okay? Does it hurt?"

"No, I...I didn't even notice it to tell you the truth," Cassidy assured him as he ran his finger down the scar on her cheek, probably given to her by the same coward who'd broken her kneecap. "You know, no one ever really touches my face. They usually avoid eye contact because they don't want me to think they're staring at the scar."

"Well, I think it makes you look like a warrior," Noah told her and kissed it. "If it has to be there, it just makes you look distinctive and not like every other woman in the world."

"Thanks," Cassidy said. "Lighter to the cheek when I didn't cook dinner fast enough." She shuddered. "As you can tell, I have terrible tastes in men. Always ones who care about themselves and not me."

"That's why I want to make sure you're not hurting before I come inside you," Noah told her. "Are you ready for that?"

"Yes, please," Cassidy nodded. "I haven't had any sort of pain since you've been with me. Well, bad pain, anyway. It's like magic or something."

Noah grinned. "Well, good." He then slipped on some protection and buried himself inside her with good, strong thrusts, leaving them both panting and exhausted after.

"Have I been punished enough for robbing you?" Cassidy asked, her hair sticking to her forehead.

"Oh, no, I wanted you to have fun first...now it's payback time," he smiled wickedly, giving her several spanks, flipping her onto her back and fingering her. "I hope you learned your lesson. Otherwise I might have to pull out the whips next time!"

"Oh!" Cassidy gasped. "Oh, well...I'm kind of a slow learner so it's good you have a plan."

"That's what I thought you'd say," He told her and shook his head, taking her in his arms and massaging her knee as she rested her head on his shoulder. It felt awful touching it. He wished he could make it better. But the fact that it hadn't hurt her during their time together, that was something...something interesting that made him wonder why. Adrenaline? General distraction? Some sort of supernatural power? It could be any of those. But given his Grandfather's habit of match-making, he was inclined to put money on option number three. Because what would make Cassidy like him more than being secure in the knowledge that he was probably the one man she could be with, for sure, who wouldn't hurt her, but who would ease her pain instead?


	44. Dinnertime With Steve And Gwen

"I'm really sorry I roped you into this dinner thing with my father," Lucifer apologized to Ellie as they prepared for yet another dinner with Steve and Gwen. "I should have asked first. As usual, we can always cancel."

Ellie reached up and straightened his collar. "And also as usual, I know you're only saying that because it gives you an excuse not to see your father. Don't use me as an excuse! If you need to talk to someone about it, you know that's the reason why I have Aunt Selina make the dessert, right? So you can go and talk to her and...have a drink or something. Does it help?"

"Yes, it kind of does," Lucifer admitted as Ellie handed him his keys and he made his way to the door. "We help each other out, Selina and I. I talked her out of many bad relationships. She had the worst taste in men. Good in bed as I found out, but...terrible people."

Ellie made a face. "You told my aunt not to sleep with someone and then turned around and did it yourself? Isn't that _bad_?"

"Well, she was looking for a stable relationship," Lucifer said with a shrug. "I wasn't. Big difference."

"Ah, well...tell her 'Hi' for me, would you?" Ellie wanted to know.

"Of course," Lucifer assured her. "Don't I always?"

* * *

"Right on time," Selina told him and let him in the old mansion she used as bakery to peddle her sweets. "What'll your poison be today?" He looked at her, with her big smile and her colorful clothes and marveled that this was the same woman who, at one point, had been one of the most angry, violent people he'd ever done a favor for. When he'd first met her in person after watching over her family for years because of her grandparents' extremely sinful natures, she'd been clingy and horribly unstable, but when they'd met again nearly fifty years later, their shared love of opiates and terrible histories with manipulative and absent parents had bonded them in a very profound way. And coincidentally, she was Eleanor's mother's sister, so now they were family too.

"Whiskey, like usual," he told her. "Double, please."

"All righty," Selina nodded and made up his drink, pushing two neatly decorated, very colorful baskets full of brownies and cookies at him. "Oh, and here's the desserts for dinner with your father. Hope you like them."

"Always," Lucifer told her. "And...I know this is a terrible thing to ask because you're in recovery and all, but...you wouldn't happen to still have some lovely opiates around, would you? I'm nearly out."

"Well, I don't have any that I personally know the history of," Selina told him. "As you know, I gave up heroin in the '90s and I just...the closest thing I can offer you is a lemon poppy seed muffin. However, Uncle Andrew and I are finally weaning Mama off the stuff and I told him I would 'take care' of what was left. It's only been here since this morning."

"Excellent!" Lucifer grinned. "I'll take it along with the brownies and the cookies." He paused. "Oh, and Eleanor wanted me to tell you 'Hello'."

"How nice," Selina grinned back. She went and got what had been brought over of her mother's stash and plunked it in front of him. "Mama's not as bad as she used to be anymore, but I have no doubt you'll build up quite a stash from her."

"I'm proud of her for finally giving it all up. It was harder for her than it was for you," Lucifer said. "In a way."

"Oh, yes," Selina agreed, her face darkening for a moment. "If I was a bad girl and you put me in Hell, it would be when she was unable to do anything but lie there and dose herself and cry...when she wasn't hurting herself. That was the only reason I was glad she was dosing me with morphine too: so I didn't have to deal with all the crying..."

They both stared at each other and sighed.

"But anyway," Selina said, shaking her head and stepping back, her big blue eyes bright as she tried to smile. "Dinner with your father and Gwen tonight. Fun times!"

"Oh, of course," Lucifer scoffed. "It's not as bad with Eleanor there, but still!"

"Mama makes me do it too," Selina told him. "I have to dress all nice and everything. I show up in jeans and she practically has a coronary. I do humor her sometimes and put on all her old jewelry and one of my old dresses, corset included, but...it's really uncomfortable."

"The things we do to get some sort of attention from our parents after so long not getting it, am I right?" Lucifer asked, clinking Selina's glass as she nodded. Then he sat back and looked around the kitchen. "I've always meant to ask," he remarked, "why is nothing green in this house? No green furniture or anything."

"Cause it's just...when I was a kid, anything colored green was horribly, _horribly_ toxic!" Selina replied. "I remember one time, I was about four, and Mom and Uncle Andrew went to a party and brought me back a green sugar treat that was on one of the cakes. I ate it and it got me a bad case of arsenic poisoning. If Dr. Stensrund hadn't saved me, I would have been dead. And I know that's changed now, but...all I have to do is see a green couch or a green wall and it freaks me out! Damn you, Paris Green!" She shuddered.

They had a few more drinks and Lucifer looked at the clock and sighed. "Well, I should probably go. Can't avoid it much longer, can I?"

"I guess not," Selina shook her head. "But if you need to talk tonight, you know my number."

"Yes, I do," Lucifer nodded. "And...same to you, even though things with your dad are better now."

"Yeah," Selina sighed. "Better, but not perfect. I mean, Ellie probably has no idea how lucky she is that she was raised by my dad after he learned a lesson or two about paying attention to what he really wanted in his life and going after it. I'm glad he's happy, but I can't help but think of all she gets and feeling a twinge of...you know."

"Envy?" Lucifer grinned.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "But just a little one because it seems he moved on so quick and it just...it feels like _I_ should be able to tell him when he's allowed to be happy since I'm the one he screwed over when he was out playing hero on the battlefield and left me to literally be raised by wolves and now it's like none of that ever mattered or affected him at all. However, don't worry. She's family so, I wouldn't hurt her."

"I know you wouldn't," Lucifer replied, locking eyes with her, his tone deadly serious. "Have a good night."

"I will!" Selina said and followed him to the door. "Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Lucifer called over his shoulder as he made his way to his car while balancing everything he was taking from the house. "You too!"

* * *

Unlike his brother, Gabriel was not dreading the idea of going to his father's for dinner and had, in fact, very pleased when he'd gotten the invite cause he'd been under the impression that that had just been something for Lucifer.

"You want to come with me to my father's for dinner?" He asked Lexie. "I know you already got through meeting my mother, so you don't have to, but I would really like for you to be there with me."

Lexie tried to stand her ground against him, but then he did that cute little face and she caved. "Darn you and your puppy face!" She cried. "It's not fair! You know I can't resist that."

"I do," Gabriel nodded. "Why do you think I do it?"

"At least tell me I don't have to wear a dress like I did with your mother," Lexie told him. "I'm _begging_ you."

"You can wear whatever you want, just look neat," Gabriel replied. "That's not too much to ask, is it?"

"No," Lexie said. "I guess not." She ended up in jeans and ankle boots and a flower blouse she stole from Emma. "Good?" She asked as she came down the stairs.

"Yeah," Gabriel nodded. "Very nice."

"Thanks!" Lexie gave him a small smile as her stomach rumbled. "I could eat an elephant! Do you know what we're having?"

"No," Gabriel shook his head. "It's always a surprise, I think. Oh, and Ellie and Lucifer are gonna be there too."

"I thought they might be," Lexie nodded. "Uncle Lucifer's been muttering angrily under his breath about these Friday night dinners for what seems like forever!"

"And I don't know why," Gabriel said as he led Lexie to the car. "It can't be as bad as all that." He opened the door and she hopped in, giving Gabriel a good view of her butt before he quickly closed the door an she shrieked.

"Hey!" She cried as he settled in the driver's seat. "I wasn't ready for you to shut that!"

"Sorry I just...I saw your bottom and I..." He blushed. "Those pants fit you really well, and..."

"You were overcome with tingly feelings and it made you uncomfortable," Lexie grinned and took his face in her hands, kissing him soundly, much to his surprise. "You're so cute sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" He got out.

"Okay, all the time," Lexie assured him. "Now let's start this car so we can eat dinner, go home, and you can peel me out of my jeans."

"Yeah," Gabriel nodded, so distracted by that that he nearly ran into the mailbox. "Yep, that would be a good idea."

* * *

When they reached Steve and Gwen's, Gabriel was not surprised to find his brother out on the front step. "Is this the only way you could think of to avoid Dad at his own house?" He asked, sitting next to Lucifer.

"Well, he won't let me smoke in the house so I really had no choice but to come out here," Lucifer replied. "Did he force you to come too? Unlike me, you could have said 'No'."

"Oh, but I wanted to come," Gabriel replied. "And I didn't come alone."

Lucifer then looked up at the sound of Lexie slamming the car door shut. "Oh, damn," he groaned. First he had to spend the night with his Father, and now he also had to watch Gabriel and Lexie make eyes at each other. Fabulous. Could this get any more awful?

"Hi, Uncle Lucifer," She reached for the box of cigarettes he had balanced on his knee. "Can I have one of those?"

"No, you're still on probation," Lucifer chided. "No drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes."

"Oh, come on!" Lexie groaned. "I'd expect that from Ellie, but not from you."

"It just so happens that it's on your mother's orders, young lady," Lucifer replied, stopping Lexie in her tracks. "And you wouldn't want to disappoint your mother, would you?"

"Did you really see my mother?" Lexie asked. "Or are you just messing with me?"

"Have you ever known me to lie?" Lucifer asked, his gaze steady on hers. "Have you, Alexandra?"

"No," Lexie sighed deeply, bounded up the stairs, and knocked on the door. "Guess not. Sorry."

Gwen answered and ushered everyone inside. "Time to get out of this cold!" She remarked with a shiver. Thanks to her magic, there was a big fire in the fireplace and Ellie was handing out cocoa.

"Let me rub your hands," She told Lucifer. "They're probably cold."

He pulled her close. "You know, if you want to rub something else on me, we're not too far away from a closet."

"Oh, no!" Ellie said in a low voice. "You're waiting til after dinner for that, Mister. And I'm not doing it in a closet! That's only for when we're at work and desperate!"

"What are we talking about?" Steve asked with a smile as he came up behind Ellie.

"You know perfectly well and that's why you interrupted us!" Lucifer snapped irritably. "What do you want?"

Ellie gave him a look, he cleared his throat, and said in a more measured voice full of fake sincerity, "I mean, I'm sorry. How can I help you?"

"You can chop vegetables with your brother," Steve said. "That would be a big help."

It was while he was julienning the carrots that Lucifer let out a curse and held up his hand, which he cut with the knife. "Damn!" He muttered under his breath and then met Ellie's eyes. "Just think, if you hadn't been in the room, that wouldn't have happened."

"Well, then it's my job to fix it, isn't it?" Ellie asked. But her eyes were on his bleeding hand, and they were quickly becoming black and vein-y.

"Did you feed today?" Lucifer questioned.

"Apparently not," Ellie replied, locking the bathroom door behind them and gently sucking on the blood trickling out of the wound. That led to her kissing his hand and nibbling on his fingers and soon, they were going at it against the bathroom door as she drank from his neck.

"Oh, Eleanor!" He cried. "I knew you wouldn't be able to wait until after dinner! You are a naughty girl!"

This went on much longer than either of them realized and they made enough noise that it was obvious what was going on to the people in the dining room.

"Should we wait dinner?" Gabriel asked as he looked down at his roast and vegetables.

"No," Steve shook his head. "Go ahead, son. I have a feeling it'll be some time before they join us."

* * *

And he was right. It wasn't until dessert that they showed up, their clothes askew, their cheeks flushed, and their hair rumpled.

"Sorry," Ellie said as they stared. "We got lost on the way back from the bathroom." Then she smiled and sat down as Gwen brought out Selina's brownies and cookies. "Oh, look, dessert! We're right on time!"

"And don't worry," Gwen told her with a wink. "I'll box you up some leftovers if you'd like them."

"Thank you, Gwen," Ellie said. "I would!" She shoveled a couple brownies into her mouth, then zapped up some angel food cake and dumped what seemed like a truckload of whipped cream on it before eating that too.

"What?" She asked as everyone else stared. "In case you forgot, I haven't eaten yet."

"Here, darling," Lucifer said and wiped her face with his napkin. "You have whipped cream all over you, which usually doesn't bother me, but when it's on your face, that's different."

"Sorry," Ellie apologized. "I...I'm better now." She cleared her throat, sat up straight in her chair, and then gave them all a smile. "So...how is everyone? Thanks for having us for dinner, it's so nice of you!"

"Well, it's our pleasure to have you," Steve told her. "You know that. And it's good to know your mother in law hasn't caused any more trouble." He eyed Gabriel and Lexie. "You two had a relatively pleasant meeting with her. Would you keep an eye on her for me since she seems to have taken to Alexandra?"

"Yes, we will," Gabriel replied.

"Better Alexandra then say, Valerie," Lucifer said. "If Mum got chummy with Valerie, that would be terrible."

"Have some faith in your daughter," Ellie told him. "She wouldn't just cause a lot of trouble. She may be looser with the rules than Angelica but she's a good girl and she knows right from wrong!"

"She _has_ improved," Steve agreed. "I'm actually very impressed. And it might not be a bad idea to have Valerie involved in this if she wants to be. She told me that she's been looking for more of a purpose lately."

"She came here and she told you that?" Lucifer asked, rising just a little as Ellie's eyes widened and she pulled at him to sit down. "Or did you force it on her? Why can't you just mind your own business and let my children be my children? Not everything in their lives has to be about you!"

"She chose to come to me," Steve said calmly. "And I'm sure you wouldn't be angry at her for making a choice of her own free will."

Gabriel's eye was on his brother, who looked like he was about to flip the table over. "You know, I think we should be going," he said quickly. "Thanks for dinner and dessert, Gwen. It was a lovely evening."

They then got out of there as fast as they could, shutting the door just in time to hear a loud crash.

"We got out just in time," Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief, pulling Lexie to him and kissing the top of her head. "What do you say we go home?"

"I say I like that," Lexie told him. "Although I don't like to miss a good fight."

"Well, _I_ do," Gabriel replied. "I've seen enough fights between Dad and Lucifer to know how this will end and it's not pretty, so let's just go."

"Okay," Lexie nodded and let him carry her to the car. "You don't have to tell _me_ three times."

* * *

"It's so much more peaceful just in here with the two of us, isn't it?" Gabriel remarked as he reached their bedroom and shut the door behind him.

"Yeah," Lexie nodded and kissed him while unbuttoning his buttons. "And I know just what we're gonna do now cause you promised."

"And I would never break a promise," Gabriel told her after undressing, dimming the lights a little and kissing her soundly. "Would you like help out of your jeans?"

Lexie's mouth opened and closed several times. He'd taken her breath away.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," he decided with a smile, then carried her to their bed and peeled off her jeans, panties, and top before running his hands over her body. "You're so beautiful," he whispered in her ear. "Did you know that? And I'm...I'm so glad you're here with me."

"You are?" Lexie asked, surprised as he slipped inside her and nibbled on her neck. "Tell me more about how great I am! It's such a turn-on!"

He paused and looked in her eyes. She wasn't being self-absorbed, he knew. She really needed to hear it. She needed to know she was worth something to somebody. "Thank you for coming to dinner with me," he said and gave a thrust. "For meeting my mother." Another thrust. "And for agreeing to change rooms to be close to me."

The following thrust made her climax and she held him tight as he kissed her. "I'm glad you're here too," she admitted. "I like feeling your arms around me. I like how you make me feel safe." She paused. "Do you think...Gabriel, do you think my mother would be proud of how I've changed? Cause I've really tried. I have."

"I know you have, and I'm so proud of you," he encouraged with a smile, his dark eyes warm and inviting. "Of course your mother would be too."


	45. Something Money Can't Buy

_One week ago..._

 _After many sexy dreams about him and Cassidy, Noah opened his eyes, grinned, and turned, planning to see her on the mattress beside him, but instead, he saw nothing. Thinking it was just a product of the fact that he'd recently woken up, he blinked several times and patted the mattress hoping that would make her appear, but it didn't. She was truly gone._

 _What he didn't see was her sneaking out of the bathroom and tiptoeing to the bedroom door. Her scheme to leave was ruined, however, by the squeaky hinges on the door, which made Noah's head snap up._

 _"Damn!" She cried, letting the doorknob go. "I was so damn close!"_

 _Eyes momentarily going red, Noah sped from the bed to the door and shut it. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, pulling her to him. "What part of 'You don't leave here' don't you understand?"_

 _Cassidy faced him unflinchingly, her chin up. "And what part of 'I have a life to and people who need me' don't you understand? Don't you even care about other people besides yourself?"_

 _Noah scoffed when heard that. "What a stupid question! If you weren't planning on staying with me, we shouldn't have done what we did! Don't you know that spending the night with me means that you're consenting to a more permanent arrangement in my bed?"_

 _"What the hell kind of plan is that?" Cassidy raged. "It's not obvious at all! Only in the mind of someone shallow like you would that be a legitimate conclusion! Sorry for brusing your ego, but it's not happening! You might think you're so wonderful that I'll drop everything to be with you, but I won't! Not like this!"_

 _"But where are you planning to go?" Noah asked. "What do you plan on doing with your life?"_

 _Cassidy chose not to answer this, her lips pursed and her eyes averted from Noah's face._

 _"Fine!" Noah growled, throwing his hands up in frustration and pulling the door open. "Go! I don't care!"_

 _Cassidy eyed him suspiciously. "What's the catch? I know you're too obsessed with me to just let me go."_

 _Noah grinned. "Here's what I'm thinking...you go ahead and go, but when you need money, you come here and spend the night with me. What do you think? Isn't that a great idea? You don't have to stay here, and I get to be with you. Everyone wins!"_

 _Cassidy's eyes narrowed and she gave him a slap. "No!" She raged. "I'm not gonna do that! I'm not a prostitute! I can't be bought! If you think you can have me without treating me with even a modicum of respect, you are sorely mistaken!"_

 _"It's not like that at all!" Noah was quick to reassure her after putting a hand to his cheek. "It's a give and take! You get money and I...I get the pleasure of your company. I promise it won't be anything unpleasant. All you have to do is spend the night with me. We won't even have to have sex if you don't want to. We can just cuddle and talk!"_

 _She was surprised that he actually was admitting this to her, and whether she liked it or not, she did need an easy source of money and this could be it. And it didn't seem like he was lying. "I'll think about it," she said. "Just...give me time, all right."_

 _"Fine," he told her. "Goodbye, Cassidy."_

 _"Goodbye, Noah," she replied and then walked away without another word as he watched with a sigh and shut the door behind her._

* * *

Once Cassidy left, Noah was convinced that after a few days, she would return. But she didn't, and much to his shock and dismay, he discovered that her absence made him very unhappy. Using his contacts he tried to hunt her down, despite having no idea where she lived, but all three men he hired came back with nothing to show for their efforts, at which point, he gave up. For the moment.

Realizing that it was stupid to be at the mercy of just one woman when he was Noah Morningstar, he tried to go back to his old ways, picking up women at night and taking them into his room. But it didn't work, he couldn't do it. And after a second night of experiencing humiliation because he couldn't perform, he knew there was only one thing to do: get Cassidy back! He was even so desperate for help that he told his mother.

"Well, first I think you need to understand why she hasn't returned," Ellie said. "I remember what you said to her. You treated her like a prostitute. No wonder you haven't seen her since! You were doing so well, but that is not how you treat a girl you like, young man!"

This made Noah blush furiously. "I don't like her, Mother," he snapped. "I just...I haven't gotten her out of my system yet, that's all. Nothing more than that. Now will you tell me what to do to get her back or not?"

Ellie just shook her head and grinned. "You're worse than your dad when it comes to dealing with stuff like this," she said. "Sure I'll help you. I know just the thing."

"Thanks, Mom," Noah told her.

"You're welcome," Ellie said and ruffled his hair before going to call the one person she knew could help better than her: Steve.

* * *

It was after closing the following night when Ellie told Noah to wait for the help that would get Cassidy back.

"All right," he told her. "Can't wait to see you."

There was no response to that. He just heard a click and, after staring confusedly at his phone, put it back in his pocket, making himself a drink, sitting on a bar stool, and waiting for his mother. But she didn't come. Instead, he heard another voice that made him groan.

"Would you make me a drink?"

Noah looked at Steve and then said, "Fine. But what are you doing here? We're closed and I'm waiting for my mother so I really can't talk."

"Oh, your mother isn't coming," Steve replied, grabbing a glass and helping himself to some beer from the tap. "She asked me to come talk to you about Cassidy."

"Of course she did," Noah swore under his breath. "Well, maybe that's better, because I want you to know that I'm aware of what it is you're up to and it's not gonna work!"

Steve grinned. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Yes you do!" Noah yelled. "You want me to like Cassidy and you made her leave so now I'm..." He stopped talking. "Never mind. I'm not telling you that. It's what you want. It's how you get your jollies."

"Oh, I don't need you to go any further," Steve assured him, his eyes bright. "I already know you like her so much that you're offering to pay her money to obtain physical affection from her and because you want to make sure she's taken care of."

"I don't need to pay anyone money to be with me!" Noah cried. "I mean really! Have you seen me?"

"So you're giving her money because you genuinely care for her, son?" Steve asked. "Is that it?"

"It's not any of your business!" Noah yelled. "Now will you please go away?"

"All right," Steve told him, a grin still on his lips as he put a hand on Noah's shoulder, then finished his beer and set the empty glass on the bar as his grandson glowered at him. "I think my work here is done. anyway." He paused and handed him a couple of dollars. "Oh, and thanks for the beer."

* * *

"Hey, look and see who just walked in," Roxie whispered and gave Noah a nudge as she noticed Cassidy come into the club. "It's the burglar. Want me to throw her out, or do you want the pleasure?"

Their relationship was still not perfect, but since Cassidy had come into his life, he'd become more tolerable to Roxie and she even found him okay to be around some days.

Noah's head snapped up and he saw that she was right: Cassidy had come into the club and she looked...different. Instead of her usual uniform of sneakers, bootcut jeans, and a hoodie, she wore black skinny jeans, heels, and a dark purple, off the shoulder top. Her hair was also much curlier and poofier than usual.

"Damn," he whispered and licked his lips before coming around the bar.

"Don't worry," Roxie called. "I can manage things here."

He reached Cassidy just as she swayed on her heels and fell into him. "You came back!" He cried, trying not to sound too happy but failing. "And should you be wearing those heels with your knee and all?"

"Yeah," Cassidy whispered as he began nibbling on her neck and ignoring his comment about her knee, although it was touching of him to ask. "I came back..."

"I missed you," he continued, slipping his hand under her blouse. "Did you miss me?"

She squirmed. "Move your hand," She whispered. "There are people here!"

"Oh, they aren't paying attention," Noah scoffed. "Why would they pay attention to us when they can dance? And a lot of them are probably drunk too, so don't worry about it!"

"I...can we do this somewhere a little more private?" Cassidy asked.

"Oh, a nice, dark, cozy corner?" Noah grinned. "I like how you think!" He paused. "Or wait, I have a better idea."

He took her onto one of the club's balconies (Noah had expanded the club from just the underground level so it now had balconies), which was empty of people since it wasn't the warmest night. The breeze made Cassidy shiver a little as she clung to Noah, who ran his hands down her goosebump-covered arms.

"I'm cold," she said. "Can we go back in and get my coat?"

"Oh, we don't have to do that," he said and gave her his.

After he settled it around her shoulders, she finally gave him a smile. "Thank you," she told him. "I feel much warmer now." Then she leaned forward, biting his bottom lip and kissing him soundly, a gesture that threw him off guard for a moment before he finally realized what was happening and kissed back, his hands first cupping her face and then moving down to her bottom.

They continued to make out, swaying gently to the dim music that was coming from inside the club before he pulled away, picked her up, and carried her inside.

"So...do I need to ask where we're going now?" She asked.

"I think you know," he said. "You wouldn't have come if you didn't expect it."

"True," Cassidy replied with a nod.

He got her to his room, shut the door behind them, and they worked to get her undressed. Soon, they were both naked in his bed and he started out giving her a gentle massage all over her body before turning her over on her back and tasting her slowly and gently.

"Oh," she moaned, her eyes closing. "Oh, yes, oh yes..."

"Your knee okay?" He whispered after she climaxed and he'd moved on to kissing her neck while touching her inner thighs. "Do I need to slow down?"

"No, I'm good," she said. "Thank you for asking, though."

Then he decided to try something a little different. "Would be comfortable on top?" He asked.

"What?" She wanted to know, her eyes wide. "Are you...did you just ask if I wanted to be on top?"

"Yeah," Noah asked. "I mean, you don't have to, but..."

She didn't hesitate another second, moving very well for a person with a knee as messed up as hers was. Soon, she was straddling him and grinning widely. But as she prepared to ride him hard, he stopped her. "Just a minute," he said and began running his hands over her belly.

"Oh, don't..." she said. "It's all so soft and squishy. You wouldn't want to..."

"Shh..." he interrupted her. "Please."

She closed her mouth as she felt her stomach muscles contract in response to his touches. And it was driving her nuts. "Can I...can I do my thing now?" She asked. "I need...I need..."

"Oh, all right," he grinned, reaching up to play with her curls. "I suppose it's wrong to make you suffer this way."

"Yes it is!" She nodded and began riding him hard. "You're a very bad man!"

"Yeah," he grinned as she leaned down to kiss him. "But you like it."

She chuckled. "I suppose I do, in a way," she told him just before he climaxed. "You might just be right."


	46. Tricks And Treats

"Do you mind if we watch my brother and sister on Halloween?" Ellie asked Lucifer. "Mom and Dad have to go to some charity benefit for the hospital and Mom wants us to take the kids trick or treating. Since we already agreed to take Lily-Eleanor, two more won't be difficult to add to our group."

"But they're so _small!_ " Lucifer protested. "What would they do with all the candy?"

"Well, _we_ could eat it," Ellie replied. "I'm sure no one would mind. Would you be up for it?"

"I guess," Lucifer sighed. "I bet you've already told them 'Yes', haven't you?"

"Kind of," Ellie nodded. "But it'll be fun!"

"You're going to have me wear some atrocious costume, aren't you?" Lucifer asked.

"I'm gonna go as a witch, so you can go as the devil and it will be funny!" Ellie smiled.

"No!" Lucifer shook his head and looked horrified. "I'm not dressing in some sparkly red leotard!"

"Not saying you have to," Ellie told him. "You could just buy the horns, wear one of your suits, and then do the face. It'll be practically the same thing. I wouldn't ask, but you know we can't wear super sexy costumes around kids."

"Fine," Lucifer sighed. "Only for you, Eleanor." But he had an idea for another costume later that night, when the children were no longer around. He couldn't wait to see the look on his wife's face when she saw it.

"Thank you," Ellie smiled and snuggled next to him. "I'll make it worth your while, I promise."

"You will?" He raised an eyebrow. "Care to tell me how?"

"No," Ellie shook her head, her dark eyes sparkling. "It's a surprise. You have to wait, just like I probably have to wait for whatever I know you have in store for me!"

"Well, it's true, I do have _something_ ," Lucifer conceded. "Will you at least tell me if it's costume related?"

"Yes," Ellie nodded as Dexter brought out a box of decorations so he and she could start putting them up. "It's costume-related but you're not getting any more hints, so don't ask."

"Well fine, but you can't ask me about what I'm doing for you either!" Lucifer shot back.

"Oh, that's fine," Ellie replied and handed him some cotton to go put up on the chandelier as Dexter put up black and orange balloons and streamers. "Make that look like cobwebs, would you?"

"Is that all I'm good for?" He asked. "Doing your decoration bidding because you're tiny and can't reach anything?"

"It's one of your many useful qualities," Ellie nodded. She could have done it all very easily with her magic, but it was good to get everyone involved. "And I just want to stare at your butt."

"I appreciate honesty," Lucifer grinned and got to work putting the spiderweb on the chandelier. "And you never disappoint me there, Eleanor."

They got done with the decorating in a couple of hours (even with Ellie's magical assist, because she was a 'go big or go home' sort of person), and then collapsed on the sofa to survey their handiwork.

"You know, I don't think there's an inch of this house that is not covered in some sort of decoration, Eleanor," Lucifer said as he looked around, stunned. "I'm very impressed."

"Well, remember that we're having Astrid, Alistair, and Helene over too, and I want it to look impressive," Ellie told him. "You know, I was meeting Astrid the other day to talk about loaning her some of our security for the witches' big Halloween thing, and they've been in full decoration mode since the end of August. We have to keep up!"

"I think we accomplished that," Dexter assured her once he'd caught his breath. "Now, who wants cider while I'm up getting a cup for myself?"

"I do!" Ellie and Lucifer said at the same time, and after Lucifer urged Ellie to stay put, he got up and followed Dexter to the kitchen.

* * *

"It was so sweet of you to take the twins while we go to that benefit tonight," Sarah told her daughter a few nights later and then handed Ellie rabbit and bumblebee costumes she'd gotten her babies for trick or treat. "I saw these and I thought they would just look adorable! Don't you think?"

"How important is that to you? Because Lucifer has his own ideas," Ellie said. "We're taking Lily-Eleanor as well because Vincent and Lauren are spending the night with her sister watching horror movies and Lucifer would not rest until they let him dress their daughter up like the bride of Frankenstein."

"Oh, let me talk to him," Sarah smiled. "I can get him to do as I wish."

"Good luck with that," Ellie called after her. "I think even you won't make any headway in changing his mind, but good luck!"

After her parents left, Ellie went to see Lucifer, who was sitting on his and Ellie's bed with Juliette dressed and Elliot in his lap, still in his tiny jeans, socks, and sweater, and eying the costumes with disfavor. "These are too cutesy, I don't like it. Why can't I make your brother be a zombie?"

"Cause Mom wants him in the bunny costume," Ellie replied. "Do what she wants."

"I still don't like it," Lucifer huffed. "Even though I have no intention of going against your mother's wishes."

"Fine," Ellie zapped up a tube of fake blood. "Smear it all over and make it look like Elliot is one of the rabbits from Watership Down or Night of the Lepus. Would that make it better?"

"Yes," Lucifer grinned. "Yes, it would."

That compromise made, they worked together to get Elliot in his bunny costume, which was not easy because he squirmed constantly. He seemed to hate the idea of being a pink bunny just as much as Lucifer hated the idea of making him be one.

"See, I told you," Lucifer sighed. "This was a terrible idea. Would you get him to be still?"

Even with Ellie's help, it took time to get Elliot into the bunny costume. Then he burst into tears, which didn't stop until Lucifer smeared him with the fake blood.

"Oh, good, the noise has ceased," Lucifer remarked after. "I was wondering if it would."

Ellie zapped on a non-sexy witch costume and said, "Okay, where's yours, Lucifer? You promised and you don't break promises."

"I know that!" Lucifer told her. "Close your eyes and turn your back."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Ellie rolled her eyes and turned and when she was given permission to, she faced her husband and saw that, as planned, he was wearing a horn headband and holding a pitchfork.

"I've never felt so ridiculous in my entire life," he groaned, taking Elliot from Ellie as she grabbed Juliette and Lily-Eleanor.

"That's not true!" Ellie shook her head. "Think about how you would have felt if you'd worn the leotard? It could have been worse."

"No, it couldn't," Lucifer shook his head as they and the kids headed out the door with the sound of Valerie's snickers in his ears because she saw them as she and Dexter and Angelica prepared to watch The Great Pumpkin. "This is as bad as it could possibly get."

* * *

But his dismay over his costume was soon forgotten in the pursuit of candy. At first, he promised Ellie that he wouldn't scare people with his devil face, but it didn't take long for him to become disenchanted by how little candy they received when playing by the rules.

"Two pieces only at that house, Eleanor!" He shouted, his voice full of outrage. "This is becoming a terrible pattern! And we have cute children! I thought having cute children meant we got extra!'"

"Well, they have to have enough for everyone," Ellie told him. "The fear of getting egged is very real."

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard," Lucifer huffed. "If I'm going to be forced to make a fool out of myself, I should at least get well-compensated for it!"

Panic rose up in Ellie as she followed him to the door, and the second the poor man holding the candy opened it, he got a look at Lucifer's devil face and dropped the candy bowl, leading Lucifer to take all he could get his hands on. "See?" He said with a smile. "Much better!"

Ellie frowned but since Elliot seemed to be just fine, she didn't press the issue. That house had had peanut butter cups and who was she to question anything that got them for her? And besides, since it was Halloween, they could pass off Lucifer's face as an elaborate trick. No harm done.

This pattern continued at the other houses, although Ellie took over the scaring since her face didn't make people who saw it insane, and finally, their bags of candy were so heavy that they had no choice but to take the haul back home, set the kids down to rest until their parents came home, and then divide up the loot.

"I want the peanut butter cups," Ellie said. "And the m & ms. Anything chocolate really."

"Fine with me," Lucifer replied. "Just save me the gummies and the lollies, would you? That's not a problem, is it?"

"Nope, works for me!" Ellie said. "Now remember, don't eat all this in one sitting. It's bad for your stomach."

Lucifer scoffed. "Listen to this: the woman who never met a chocolate she didn't like is lecturing me on temperance in regards to candy."

"I'm just saying," Ellie told him, blushing a little because he was right. "We want this to last, don't we?"

"We have enough to last us until next year," Lucifer pointed out. "And you can always zap up more. I don't think we need to pace ourselves that much."

* * *

"Okay," Ellie said as she opened the bedroom door. having zapped on a low-cut French Maid costume. the second she'd gotten back from dropping off the twins. "All toddlers are with their parents, I put on my costume, and you are just gonna-" She broke off as Lucifer turned. He was dressed as Dracula, cape and everything. She tried to speak as he came toward her, pulled her to him, took her face in his hands, and looked deep in her eyes, but all that came out were squeaks when she tried to say something.

"Look in to my eyes," he whispered.

"Okay," Ellie whispered back. There was a part of her brain that recognized how ludicrous this situation was: _she_ was the actual vampire and he was just pretending but...he was so alluring, she just...she couldn't help it. It was doing things to her.

Then he pulled her to him, his hands going under her skirt as he nibbled on her neck, and she knew that after all this, she'd probably have a giant hickey, but she didn't care. But she did wonder if her dressing up in an angel costume would have the same effect on him.

"Surprised?" He asked with a grin when they paused to catch their breaths.

"Yeah," Ellie nodded. "I...I, yeah, it's good!" She stood up. "What do you think of mine?"

"I honestly thought I was going to see you in an angel costume," he remarked.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to see that," Ellie told him. "But I can change! Shut your eyes!" She then zapped on an angel costume, complete with a filmy white dress that had bell sleeves, wings, and a halo that floated above her head as she stood bathed in light. "Good? Or stupid?"

"What?" Lucifer asked. He couldn't stop staring. Despite his distaste for his own angel nature and his promise to Dexter that he would never idealize Eleanor, he was seeing her actually be how he saw her sometimes. Mostly in the morning when the sun was coming up and she was all bathed in light like she was now. "You look...you look Heaven-sent. Dad'll probably be here any minute to send you back to the Silver City."

Ellie smiled. "You think you can still go to bed with me, though?"

"Oh, of course," he nodded and kissed her, picking her up bridal-style and carrying her back to bed. "The outfit changes nothing."

It took a bit of effort to get out of their costumes, but they were determined and soon, they were rolling around naked under the sheets. "You wanna try something a bit different, Eleanor?" Lucifer suggested. "I know you'd never go for it usually, but as it's Halloween and all..."

"Okay," Ellie replied, not even asking what it was. This was the one night a year where she tried not to overthink anything and let him take the wheel. "What is it?"

He put on his robe and went to the kitchen, coming back with a couple brownies on a plate. "I had your aunt make these specially. She was never particularly a fan of marijuana herself, which always surprised me, but she knows a man who knows a man, and...you wanna give it a try?"

"Are you...there are _drugs_ in these brownies?" Ellie asked.

"Yes," Lucifer nodded with a smile. "It's really quite fantastic. I think you'll enjoy yourself."

"You know," Ellie grinned and broke off a bit of brownie. "Why the heck not?" She took a bite and it didn't take long for things to change. "Wow," she said. "The colors! The colors are so...and do you...do you see the elephant too, or is that just me?"

"Oh, it's not just you," Lucifer replied and grabbed her with the hand that wasn't eating a brownie of his own. "He's next to the funny little pirate with the peg-leg. Don't worry if you're scared of him. I'll protect you."

"Someone else just told me that too," Ellie said with a laugh. "Oh, boy."

Eventually, they found themselves desperately needing a trip to the kitchen. "Just get everything you can get your hands on," Ellie told him after stuffing her robe pockets full of food. "Nothing should be left behind!"

"You don't need to tell me how to get through this," Lucifer told her. "I've been through it much more than you have."

"Oh, who cares!" Ellie snapped. "I just want food!"

They tore the kitchen apart, only pausing when Dexter turned on the light. "What is with you two?" He paused and made a face. "Those weren't normal brownies, were they? And now the plate's gone, so..."

"Devil made me do it!" Ellie shouted.

"Did not!" Lucifer shouted back. "Well, all right, kind of, but...it was only just a nudge! You seemed fine with it!"

"Is that a problem?" Ellie questioned, waving a chicken leg around.

"No, I just...are you okay?" Dexter asked. "How much did you have?"

"I'm fine," Ellie replied. "Just...you tell your second head to stop making faces at me. I don't like it."

Dexter rolled his eyes and heaved a deep sigh. "Happy Halloween," He got out. "I'm going to bed. And I'll go grocery shopping in the morning."

"Night, Dexter!" Lucifer called after him. "Happy Halloween!"


	47. Used To Getting What I Want

The next morning was a work day, but Ellie was too sick to go, and Lucifer didn't feel up to leaving her behind so he enlisted his children to look over things instead.

"Sure," Angelica nodded. "It'll be a nice change of pace and people have been begging me to take a day off from the office anyway."

"Not a problem," Vincent added. "Lauren's at work and if I do the filing and the other paperwork, I can watch Lily-Eleanor at the same time if I stick her in a play pen or something." Then, there was Valerie.

"Okay," she got out. "This'll go marvelously with my whole 'find a purpose' thing. Is Angelica doing it too?"

"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "We asked her first."

"All the more reason for me to join up then," Valerie said. "And don't worry. We'll make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Oh, I believe that," Lucifer nodded. "Good luck!" He watched his children go, told the office what the plan was with a request to tell him if something went wrong, and then he went back to Ellie, trying his best to hold in laughter but failing.

"You think it's funny that I'm suffering so much?" Ellie snapped. "I have a terrible headache and I don't feel good! Why did I let you talk me into eating those brownies?"

"Cause I thought it would be a little fun," Lucifer told her and sat down. "I didn't know that you would end up feeling so bad!" He then watched as Ellie disappeared into the bathroom and he heard the sound of her being sick. "Don't worry," he called. "This happens to everyone, especially if they're not used to it and overdo it. It'll go away eventually."

"It better!" Ellie shouted as he smirked.

"You need me to come in there and hold your hair?" Lucifer asked.

"Yes!" Ellie told him. "Get in here!"

He held onto her until he was sure there could be nothing in her, then gave her aspirin and tucked her into bed, wondering what she'd be like when she woke up.

* * *

He found out a few hours later when she shouted that she was up and her headache was gone, but that she was awfully hungry.

"What do you want me to bring you?" He asked.

"Whatever leftovers you can get from lunch, I don't really care," Ellie replied. "Thanks! And if we're here, who's watching the office?"

"The children are," Lucifer assured her. "I hope Valerie lets Angelica run Hell. I think she could use the outlet."

"Yeah," Ellie nodded and hugged her pillow against her chest. "Me too."

Wanting to start slow because of how sick Ellie had been, Lucifer brought her some tea and tomato soup. "There was grilled cheese too, but let's see if you can keep this down first," he said. "Do you feel nauseous?"

"No, thank goodness," Ellie shook her head, picking up the bowl of soup in her hands and gulping it down before handing it back to him. "More please. And could I have a sandwich this time too? Is how hungry I am an effect of the drugs or am I just hungry?"

"I think you're just hungry by now," Lucifer told her. "Stay put and drink your tea and I'll get you more food."

He found Dexter putting things in the fridge when he reached the kitchen. "I need more soup and some grilled cheese for Eleanor," he told him. "Can you help me with that?"

"Let me get it," Dexter told him. "How's she doing?"

"Much better than she did when she first woke up," Lucifer replied. "I don't think I'll be giving her any more magic brownies, though."

"Good," Dexter replied. "I think once is enough."

"Yes," Lucifer sighed. "Me too."

* * *

By the time the kids returned home from the office, Ellie was well enough to watch TV in the living room in her bathrobe so that Lucifer could talk to Angelica in his office.

"Did you do your mother's job today?" He asked.

"Yes," Angelica nodded. "Valerie didn't want me to at first. Thought it would be too dangerous. But I did it anyway cause I needed the distraction."

"And how did it go?" Lucifer asked. "You seem...you seem less affected by it than I thought you would. A lot like your mother when she goes, in fact."

"Well," Angelica sighed. "It was nice to be able to get my aggression out on all the bad people. I know that's a terrible thing to say, but..."

"No, it's not!" Lucifer shook his head. "This is good! You need it! I'm glad it worked out for you."

"Yeah," Angelica nodded and took her father's hand. "How's Mom? I take it she's doing better?"

"Oh, yes," Lucifer nodded. "In the main living room watching the television. I'm sure she'd be happy to hear how you did today."

"I'll tell her," Angelica replied and rose gracefully to her feet. "Don't worry about that."

* * *

Noah woke up and grinned as he saw Cassidy facing him, sound asleep. Chuckling to himself, he looked under the blankets. Yep, she was still as naked as she had been the night before. She'd been coming by much more often than he'd expected, to the point where the pillow she rested her head on was starting to take on the scent of her hair, and it lingered throughout the day. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, then reached under the covers and began running his hands over her body.

Then he whispered, his lips against her ear, "Wake up. I want to touch you."

"What? Okay," Cassidy muttered. She seemed to only be half-awake.

He took that as permisson and began stroking her between her legs, which made her gasp as her eyes popped open. "Oh!" She cried. "Oh! What a way to wake up!"

Noah grinned and kissed her soundly before saying, "Not so sleepy now, are you?"

"No," Cassidy threw her arms around him as he parted her legs and buried himself inside her while she played with his hair and he nibbled on her earlobe. "You really know how to start a morning off right!"

"Glad you're enjoying yourself," he hold her. "I thought you would make it a point not to since you, you know, hate me outside the bedroom and all."

"I...what...that's not necessarily true!" Cassidy protested. "But what am I supposed to think when you treat me like a prostitute? Am I supposed to get down on my one good knee, kiss youe feet, and say 'Thank you'?"

"Well, I don't understand!" Noah replied. "You need money, don't you?"

"Yes, but I don't want it just handed to me!" Cassidy said. "Don't you get that? I'm not someone for you to pity! I don't want to be a charity case for some rich boy!"

"You're not!" Noah promised. "Can we not talk about this anymore? Things were going so well!"

"You're the one who ruined it when you opened your big fat mouth!" Cassidy replied. "At least when you're kissing me, you don't say stupid things! Are you always this much of an idiot or did it come with me?"

Noah opened his mouth to protest some more, but stopped in his tracks as she began touching _him_.

"No more talking," she said. "Understand?"

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am," he got out, before lapsing into silence.

After that was done with, Cassidy got out of bed and got dressed. "I need to go home now."

"Are you sure?" Noah asked, keeping a smile on his lips and ease in his voice, even though his tense body and balled fists betrayed his mounting irritation. Why was it so hard for her to just do what he said? "We're just getting started." He paused. "Tell me where you live and I promise I'll take you later."

"Nice try," Cassidy told him. "But no. I'm going now. Don't worry, though. I'll be back." She paused. "Don't forget about my money."

"Have I ever forgotten about your money?" He asked, frowning. "What do you need it for, anyway? Is it to buy pretty things? If you want fancy diamonds instead of cash, I can make that work too."

"No," Cassidy shook her head, counting the bills he handed her. "This is _just fine._ All right, goodbye. I'm leaving before you ask me any more questions you're not getting answers to."

"You mean that I'm not getting answers to _now_ ," Noah countered. "I'll wear you down eventually, just like I did with getting you into my bed."

"Yeah," Cassidy scoffed and pinched his cheek. "Good luck with that, buddy." He watched her get out the door and then ran after her, picking her up. "Let me carry you to your car," he said. "It...it pains me to watch you hobble."

"Fine, you can take me out to my car," Cassidy conceded. "Thank you. But you're not driving me anywhere. I'll take it from there. But I admire your tenacity."

"Yeah," Noah grinned as he carried her and set her down in front of her used black Miata and watched her get inside and start it, his sense of self starting to come back. "I _am_ quite persistent, aren't I?"

* * *

Though he still had some concerns about Noah, finally seeing what his wife was up to had become a more pressing issue for Steve.

"Where did you say she was again?" He asked Angelica, who just gave him a baleful look.

"I don't know if I want to tell you," she said. "Not unless you fix Sammy first!"

"I understand you're angry about Sammy," Steve sighed. "I get it, I do. And I'm sorry you have to suffer so much. But finding out what your grandmother is up to is the more pressing issue. Please just tell me where she is."

"And what's in it for _me_?" Angelica wanted to know. "You know, when _Dad_ asks people favors, it's always two-sided: He gets something and you get something."

"Angelica..." Steve told her, a warning tone in his voice.

"Fine, but you owe me," she huffed. "I think she's one of our houses. And why do you need to know where she is or what she's up to? I thought you knew _everything_!"

"I know _mostly_ everything," Steve corrected. "Where your grandmother is concerned, it seems she's blocked me. I can't see anything about her."

"Well, isn't that convenient?" Angelica asked through her teeth. "Fine, come on. I'll take you to her. Happy?"

"Yes," Steve nodded. "Thank you very much."

* * *

"Need me anymore?" Angelica asked as they walked up the drive of Charlotte's house. "Or can I go and be left happily alone in my misery?"

"You may go," Steve told her. "Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome," Angelica hissed and stomped to her car.

Steve watched her drive away and then knocked on the door, then stepped back and waited.

"Who are you?" Charlotte asked when she opened the door, frowning at his wrinkled shirt and jeans. "Get off my front step! Go away!"

"Now, Wife," he said to her. "Is that the way to greet me after so many years?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Charlotte responded and punched him in the face so he went tumbling backward. "Where are my manners? I should be more polite to the bastard who stuck me in Hell! If you came to take me back, I'm not going! I'm staying here to be with my family and you are _not_ ruining that!"

"Do you _really_ want to stay just for our family?" He asked after getting up. "That's all?"

"Yes, that's all," Charlotte nodded. "I want to be with Lucifer and Gabriel, and Michael...and all the others. And keep an eye on _you_. You've developed a troubling taste in women since I left you. Having incest with one of your children. Shame on you!" She chuckled.

"I am not!" Steve cried. "How do you figure?"

"Well they _are_ all your children, aren't they?" Charlotte pointed out. "I wonder what it is about this one. I think I'd like to see for myself."

"You're not getting near Gwen," Steve told her.

"Take me now and I won't harm her," Charlotte told him. "Or I can go on my own and you just might not have a girlfriend soon. The choice is yours."

* * *

"See, now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Charlotte asked as Steve brought her inside, sat her down, and called for Gwen.

"You better be telling the truth about not harming her her," Steve said as Pepper barked furiously and tried to take a bite out of Charlotte's leg. "Gwen's never harmed you. She's innocent."

"Well, we'll see soon, won't we?" Charlotte said and nudged the dog away with her foot. "Put that thing away, won't you? Its yapping is beginning to get irritating."

But just as Steve got Pepper in his lap, Gwen came into the room. "What's wrong with Pepper?" She asked. "I've never heard him bark so much!"

"He's just...a little worked up, that's all," Steve replied. "But it should be quieter now."

Gwen nodded. "Well, good, I was beginning to worry!" She then looked at Charlotte, who was staring at her, shocked to be face to face with her sister after being separated for so many years. But Gwen didn't know that. "Yes?" She asked. "Can I help you? Who are you?"

"This...this is my ex-wife, Gwen," Steve said, his voice heavy. "She's in town and wanted to meet you."

"Yes," Charlotte said. "I wanted to see who my husband was replacing me with. Not much to be threatened by, I see. A bottle blonde with wrinkles." She began laughing.

"I don't have _wrinkles_!" Gwen cried. "I will _not_ accept that from a _human_!" She then gave Charlotte a zap and her laughter was silenced. "Not laughing now, are you?" She grinned and then turned to Steve. "What does she have against me? What did I do?"

"Well, you know how hard divorces are for some people," Steve said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought her."

"Oh, don't be sorry," Gwen told him. "I don't need you to protect me. I can take whatever this pathetic excuse for a human dishes out!"

She started to walk away, but Charlotte stuck out her leg and made Gwen trip so that she fell on her face, causing Charlotte to lapse into silent laughter while Steve shook his head.

"There's no excuse for treating her so cruelly!" Steve whispered angrily when Gwen disappeared.

 _Oh, come on, Husband_ , Charlotte scribbled furiously on a nearby note pad _. Not like she's exactly taking it lying down._

"And that's good," Steve spat. "It's nice to see her fight back. You've had your fun and I'm taking you home."

"Fine," Charlotte nodded. "There's always next time. She seems like someone I'd like to get better acquainted with."

"I don't think so," Steve replied. "Not if I can help it."


	48. Persistence Pays Off

Angelica was beginning to get a headache as she stared back and forth between a couple who was planning their wedding and couldn't agree on centerpieces, cake flavors, or wedding colors.

"I don't even know why we're having this stupid wedding!" The groom shouted. "We should have just eloped! But you let your mother talk you into it like you always do..."

And blah, blah, blah...Angelica tuned it all out. She wished for something, anything that would get her away from this. Planning people's most special events could be fun, but it could also be a big pain in the ass.

Suddenly, her phone rang and the arguing stopped. "You have your phone on?" The bride asked. "I thought you were supposed to be helping us!"

"Well, right now, you two can't decide on anything, so I'm gonna go answer this while you either make a decision or kill each other, okay?" Angelica told them. Their jaws dropped as she left the room. Sammy was on the other end of the line and she was so desperate to get away that she was choosing to talk to him at last.

"Well, it's about damn time!" He shouted. "Why haven't you been answering my calls? Come home. I miss you. You can come now, or you can come later. Take your pick." But then he heard a click and grinned. "Later, I suppose," he said. "Then I can plan!"

The phone call itself had freaked Angelica out a little and she ran back to the couple she'd been talking to, slammed the door, and tried to control her breathing. They paused arguing just long enough to stare at her.

"Are you okay?" The man asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Angelica panted. "Just a phone call from my boyfriend. But that's not important. Did you do what I ask? Have you figured out anything yet?"

"Silver and white," the wife replied. "Still struggling with the cake, though, because he says he hates chocolate. Who hates chocolate?"

"Well figuring out the colors as a start," Angelica sighed, making a note to tell Sammy's parents what was going on with him. She'd not wanted to at first because she didn't want to put them in danger, but...it didn't seem like this whole thing was gonna end soon. They needed to know, and his mother had magic. Maybe she could help. "All right," she told the couple. "Let's figure out dessert before you leave. You think we can do that?"

"Yes," the couple muttered. "I think we can."

* * *

"Angelica," Sammy's mother Leslie said as she gestured for her to come in and sit. "We've been wanting to talk to you for _ages!_ You wouldn't happen to know what's going on with our son, do you? He's been acting very strange!"

"To put it mildly," Sammy's father added.

"Well, that's because he's possessed by the ghost of one of my dad's old girlfriends who's like, a super powerful demon called The Dragon," Angelica explained. "She wants to kill us all and is using your son as a vessel to do it. Sorry it took so long for me to say something, but I thought it would just be a few weeks to go and I didn't want you to be in danger." She paused. "Grandma Sarah didn't say anything to you?"

"No, she stayed in the cone of silence too? Is there any way to make it stop?" Leslie asked.

"Will my boy be all right?" His father cried, his voice shaking slighty as he gently grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Oh, of course he'll be okay," Angelica nodded. "Eventually. We just have to get through a bunch of stuff first. Believe me, I'm as pissed off about it as you are. I've tried to get Grandpa to fix it, but he's not moving an inch."

"What kind of stuff is going on with him?" Leslie wanted to know.

"Well, for one, he wants to kidnap me and take me back to our house, I think," Angelica told her.

"Maybe if you stay here, we can get him to stop," Leslie put forth. "Talk some sense into him. Find the bit of Sammy that's still in there!"

"Could be," Angelica nodded. "And do you mind if we call my brothers too? You know, just for backup?"

"No, of course not!" Leslie shook her head. "Call your brothers call your sister, call your father, call anyone! If Sammy is possessed by a demon, and one that sounds very powerful at that, we're gonna need all the help we can get!"

Though Sammy's plan had been outright kidnapping, the plot with his parents helped Angelica get some of the power back, and she left him a message telling him exactly where she would be after work and that he could come and get her without a fight.

"Do you think it will make him suspicious?" Angelica asked Leslie. "I don't want to ruin this. I know we all want him to get better."

"Oh, he'll probably still come even if he _is_ suspicious," Vincent reassured her. "He seems to want you bad enough and is pissed that you're ignoring him. I wouldn't worry."

"So what do we do now? Just sit and wait?" Angelica wanted to know.

"Yep..." Noah nodded. "You set the trap for him, and now you just wait for him to come to you. How badly do you want us to beat him up? Are we killing him?"

"No, we are not!" Leslie cried, and gave Noah a wap on the back of his head. "That is my son! None of this is his fault and we're saving him from this so he can have his life back!"

"But what if he hurts Angelica?" Noah questioned. "What if he tries to kill her? I'm not just gonna sit back and let her die because you have warm and fuzzy feelings about your kid and that clouds your judgment. Do you want Angelica to _die_?"

"Of course I don't want her to die!" Leslie said, looking affronted. "She's my sister's granddaughter and my future daughter in law, so why would I want that? I just...I think there should be a way to do things so that no one has to die at all. Is that so wrong?"

"No," Angelica said. "It's not, and we'll make it work, I promise." Then she looked at Vincent. "Where in the world is Dad? Did you tell him to come too, like I told you?"

"He's coming," Vincent assured her. "Mom wasn't feeling well and had to leave work early. He wanted to make sure she was all right, but he should be along any minute."

"Am I late?" Lucifer called. "Angelica hasn't been taken yet, has she?"

"No," Angelica told him as she went to let him in. "I'm still here. It's very surprising, though. I thought he would have run to get me as fast as his feet could carry him. Maybe he doesn't want me as much as I thought."

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true!" Her father told her. "Let's go to my car and we can talk about it."

Something about his tone and the look in his eyes set off warning bells in Angelica's head. "No, I'm not that worried," She assured him. "Come on, let's go talk with Noah and Vincent while we wait for Sammy. There's no rush!"

"Of course there is if some nut is trying to kidnap you!" Lucifer who was not Lucifer proclaimed and tried to pick her up. "Come along, dear. Let's not waste time!"

"Vincent, Noah!" Angelica shouted as she flailed and swung punches and tried to bite him so he would let her go. "Sammy's here and disguised as Dad! Little help?"

"Wonderful!" Noah shouted as he and Vincent came running and tried to pull him off. "I've always wanted to see what punching Dad in the face would be like!"

"Really?" Vincent asked as Lucifer's face turned into Sammy's while he was wrestled to the ground. "I thought you and Dad got along pretty well."

"We do," Noah nodded and gave Sammy the punch after Vincent put a knee in his gut. "It's just...sometimes, you have thoughts, you know."

Just then, the real Lucifer strode in and looked down. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized. "Did I miss anything?"

"Oh, well...he impersonated you to try and get me to go away with him," Angelica replied and gave her father a hug. "Don't worry. I didn't fall for it."

"Well, I should hope not," Lucifer scoffed. "What gave it away? The fact that this imbecile wore a brown belt and black shoes while impersonating me? You know I'd never do that."

"That and it just...something felt wrong," Angelica shrugged. "I think I would be able to tell my own father from an imposter by now."

"You wanna have a go at him?" Vincent offered his father. "I know you hate people doing crap disguised as you or under your name."

"Or while they try and kidnap my daughter!" Lucifer added, his eyes going red. "Can we kill him?"

"No, Aunt Leslie won't let us," Noah sighed. "But I think a few good punches are justified."

"What's going on?" Leslie came running. "Is he here?" She then looked down at her son, whose face was covered in blood. "What's happened to you?" She asked, getting on her knees beside him. "Sammy, you need help! And we're going to help you!" She looked at Noah, Vincent, and Lucifer. "Take him to his room and I'll handle it from there."

"Oh, no, he has to endure some punishment first," Lucifer said.

Though he towered over her, Leslie was not afraid. "Take him to his room," she repeated through her teeth. "Now."

Lucifer growled, hating that witches never truly feared him. "Fine," he said. "But you make it clear to him that if he tries to pull a stunt like this ever again, there _will_ be the devil to pay." Got it?"

"That's not something you have to worry about," Leslie shot back. "I promise."

As concerned as his mother, Angelica went with her and Sammy to his room. Then everyone heard the breaking of glass and a scream, but by the time they reached the bedroom, Leslie was unconscious and Angelica was gone. Sammy, it appeared, had run off with her after hurting his mother.

"You see?" Lucifer said as they helped her sit up after she came to in her husband's arms. "I know he's your son, but this is exactly why a little punishment was needed! Angelica is gone!"

"I'm sorry," Leslie sighed. "We'll find her."

"Yes we will," Lucifer nodded. "And we're starting right now. You have a spell for it, don't you?"

"Of course," Leslie assured him. "Just let me get my book."

* * *

The next place Angelica found herself was at her father's home, with no Sammy present. As she got ready for bed, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had all been a bad dream. Sammy had decided to let her go. She was safe here. She pulled the covers over herself, turned off the light over the bed, and closed her eyes.

Then, she was suddenly awakened as arms encircled her and a large hand went over her mouth, cutting off her scream as she turned her head and saw Sammy's eerily lit grinning face staring back at her.

"I held off for a bit," he whispered in her ear. "Brought you here so you could be completely relaxed and everyone would think you were safe. Now that that's accomplished, though, I think it's time for us to go home and have a little fun, don't you, darling? To our home, where we belong together?" He paused. "And if you think people are going to come looking for you...it's going to take time with all the magic I've done. I've thought this through, believe me."

"Will I be hurt?" Angelica got out after moving his hand.

"Not if you do what I say," he promised.

* * *

"You know what I wonder?" Ellie asked Lucifer as they got undressed for bed. She was worried as heck about Angelica, but Aunt Leslie had told her mother and they'd gotten all the aunts and uncles on the lookout, plus the staff at the mansion too, so she was doing her best to think of something else.

"What's that, darling?" Lucifer wanted to know.

"Well, we've been screwing around unprotected for a while now and nothing's happened...do you think something is wrong with your little swimmers?" Ellie grinned widely.

"No, my swimmers are fine!" Lucifer bristled. "They're fine! They're just...being respectful because they heard you don't want to be pregnant yet!"

"I think it was those brownies," Ellie grinned wider. "Maybe they made you impotent! Or something else you're into did it!"

"Oh, don't you even..." Lucifer told her, his gaze averted as he felt himself blush. "How dare you, Eleanor!"

"Oh, calm down!" Ellie smiled. "You're fine, I'm pregnant. You're not gonna be the only big baby around here pretty soon!"

"You're right," he said, ignoring everything after 'I'm pregnant'. "How could I be so silly to not know? You've been snoring like an Albanian field wench and you only do that when you're pregnant!"

"I do not!" Ellie huffed and punched her pillows after taking a seat on the mattress.

"You do, but it's adorable," Lucifer said and booped her nose. "Don't worry."

"I can't believe you just booped my nose!" Ellie cried and messed up his hair.

"Well, that was uncalled for," He replied, grabbing her by the wrists before she could do it again and kissing her soundly. "Perhaps we should take you to the doctor. I had no idea you were expecting when I gave you those brownies. We should make sure nothing bad happened."

Ellie smiled. "Well, look at you being all responsible!" She said as he put the covers over them. "I feel fine and I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, but yeah...we'll check. I'm sure Dad can get us in quick."

"Good," Lucifer nodded and gave her a kiss. "Perfect."

* * *

It wasn't long after that that Emma came to Ellie even though it was early in the morning and said, "I think I have ideas about Michael."

"What kind of ideas?" Ellie asked. "Have you decided that you like him? I really think it would be good for you to take a chance."

"Me too, but...how do I do that?" Emma questioned. "He's not a commitment guy and I don't want to scare him off!"

"He might be a commitment guy for _you_ ," Ellie told her. "Start slow. Ask him for dinner or a coffee or something and see how that goes. I...I could even come with you if you wanted, in case something goes wrong."

"Thanks, but I don't think I need that," Emma told her. "I've got all the right stuff. I just need to use it."

"So true," Ellie grinned. "Are you going to go ask him now? Can I watch?"

"No," Emma shook her head. "He might have anxiety if people are watching and say the wrong thing!"

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Ellie told her. "Go! Go!"

So Emma ran to Michael's room, not expecting him to be in at all. She opened the door when he called for her to come in, strode up to him, looked him in the eye, and said, "Would you like to get a coffee?"

"A...a _coffee_?" Michael asked, feeling underwhelmed. He'd expected her to ask if he wanted something else since they were standing so close and she smelled so good. "That's it?"

"Depends on how you behave during coffee," she grinned, grabbed his hand, and pulled him out the door.

They went to the kitchen and Emma made them both coffee, black for him and with whipped cream and sugar for her.

"So...this is a lovely nightcap," he commented. "You trying to make sure I stay awake so we can go to bed?"

"Yes," Emma grinned. "With what I have planned for us to do in bed tonight, I will definitely need you awake."

Michael chuckled, gulped down his coffee, and let out a scream. "Hot!" He cried. "Hot!"

"You silly man of course it's hot!" Emma cried. "Serves you right!" She got him some cold milk in a glass and watched him drink it more slowly while she finished her coffee. "Any better?" She questioned.

"Well, it's not worse," Michael assured her, his dark eyes still pained. "Let's get out of here, please."

Emma nodded and took his hand, leading him to her bedroom. "Stay out here for just a minute. I have to arrange some things first."

"Oh, really," Michael chuckled as she opened the door and gave her a spank. "You go right on ahead, you little tease. But don't take too long!" He grabbed her and kissed her one more time and then she shut the door. It was only for probably less than a minute, but it seemed like a million years. Then she opened the door. "Come in," she said.

"What...but you're not wearing anything sexy!" He complained. Then he looked on her bed and saw a set of purple silk men's pajamas on one side and a matching purple night gown on the other. "Put them on," she said and threw the pajamas at him. "Please."

"Oh, but I thought we were going to be taking things _off!_ " He complained. "I feel like I'm being misled, the old bait and switch!" But...he admitted, they _were_ very nice pajamas. Hoping that eventually she would peel them off him, he put them on while she put on her night gown in the bathroom. then she opened the door and leaped onto the bed in two bounds, patting the empty space beside her. "Come on," she urged with a cute little smile. "I think we should talk."

Michael groaned, looking at her like she'd sprouted a second head. "But talking is so _boring!_ "

"You only think that because you've never taken the time to do it," Emma told him. "Please come here."

Michael let out a sigh and climbed into bed next to her, and she immediately cuddled up against him. "So..." she began. "Dads suck, right?"

"Let's not start there," Michael shook his head. "Start somewhere less complicated. I like these pajamas. That magic of yours does excellent work."

"I actually bought these," Emma admitted. "I kinda...us talking together in matching pajamas has kind of been a fantasy of mine."

"Is that right?" Michael wanted to know. "Well, in mine, you're dressed like a delightfully saucy French maid which is a bit different..."

"Yeah," She put her head on his shoulder. "I guess it is. My sister has the outfit and we're not that far from the same size."

"Is that so?" Michael asked, raising an eyebrow and tucking this information back in his mind for later. Then they lapsed into silence as she hugged him and he stroked her hair. "How are you doing?" He asked at last. "About your mom, I mean? No more cutting, I hope?"

"No," Emma shook her head. "I've decided to take a ballet class! My teacher says I'm one of the most flexible people she's ever seen! Of course, it's a beginner class and my classmates are all like, six, but..."

"How did _you_ get in it then?" Michael asked.

"I have my ways," Emma smiled. "Would you come to our recital? Please?"

Despite how much he wanted to give into her, he scoffed. "Do you know me at all? What what someone like me do at a ballet recital, watching a bunch of silly little girls?"

"Do it for me?" Emma begged. "Please?" She began nuzzling his neck. "Please? Please?"

"Oh, okay fine!" Michael cried as she gave him the big eyes again. "I hate how you know that when you look at me like that, with those big eyes, it makes me do anything! I can't resist!"

"Really?" Emma grinned and rubbed her hands. "That's handy to know."

"Do you still miss your mom?" He asked to change the subject. "If it's not too personal a question."

"Yeah, I miss her," Emma nodded. "But I've got Lexie and others who care about me so I know I'm not alone anymore. Thanks for asking!" She paused. "Would you tell me a story?" She asked.

"About what?" He wanted to know.

"Anything at all," Emma shrugged. "You've been around. You must have lots of stories." She rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes closing as his warm voice drifted over her, telling her about his relationship with his father (which was not good, but not as bad as Lucifer's) and what things were like in the beginning...how they weren't exactly like what she'd read or been told. Then he looked down, and to his surprise, she was sleeping soundly on his shoulder, her whole body relaxed.

Talking about home always wore him out and she looked so peaceful that he couldn't bring himself to wake her so he lay her down gently on the mattress, turned off the light, and lay down beside her, pulling her into his arms and gently kissing her cheek before taking a deep breath, shutting his own eyes, and drifting off himself, thoughts of her filling his mind as he hoped she was thinking of him too.


	49. The Party Almost No One Wanted

"No, don't put that there!" Elijah cried, snatching the yellow roses out of the florist's hand and moving them to another vase. "Yellow next to hot pink? No! It clashes!"

"What does it even matter?" Lisa asked as she followed him around. "I don't even need to have this silly party anyway. It's too much! I liked the yellow flowers there! And it's not just the flowers. The decorations and that two foot tall cake you ordered from Selina? Who the heck needs a two foot cake? Haven't you ever heard of 'less is more'?"

"Of course," Elijah grinned and patted her head like she was a toddler. "But if less is more, just think about how much _more_ will be! And I invited you down here because I thought you wanted to help with things but if you're just gonna complain, off you go!"

"Good!" Lisa shouted and stomped off. "Fine! Not like you listened to anything I said anyway!"

She then locked herself in her bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her cheeks were red, her heart was pounding, and she felt sick. This party was making her sick. Not because of her dad being showy and ridiculous. She was used to that. But because, in a sense, she was looking forward to it: Lee looking handsome in a suit, smiling, holding her hand. And the thought was scary as hell.

There was a knock at the door and Lisa turned away from the mirror. "Dad, go away and leave me alone!" She cried after straightening up her hair and taking a breath. "I said I didn't want to help with the damn party anymore!"

"We're not your dad!" Her mother called. "It's just me and Lily and it sounds like we came in time. Is your dad giving you grief about the party? Do you need to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?" Lisa sighed and let her mother and sister in. "I don't want it, but it's probably too late to cancel."

"Seeing as it's in a couple of hours, I would say so," her sister Lily, who was red-haired just like her, agreed. "But you know dad. Just humor him and let him do this and tomorrow, he'll have a different project."

"I hate being someone's project!" Lisa huffed. "And I've been banished to my room because I'm not going along with everything dad says about party planning. I'm okay with that, but would someone please tell me when guests show up?"

"Sure," her mother nodded and got out a green dress for her to wear. "You always look good in this," she commented.

"Actually, I was thinking about wearing blue," she said. Lee always liked her in blue.

"Well, whatever you want," Amy shrugged. "If you don't need anything else. we'll leave you to prepare yourself."

"Thanks," Lisa smiled. "Thanks a lot."

* * *

"Lisa!" Lucifer exclaimed, surprised when she ran into his arms and hugged him. They were the first guests to arrive for the party.

"You're here!" She cried. "Thank...goodness someone else besides my dad is here! Some other guy who's not a total lunatic!"

"You poor girl," Lucifer said. "I know how you feel. I have a few brothers like him and they all drive me round the bend too."

"Hello, Lisa," Ellie said, hugging her gently. "Congratulations!"

"Same to you," Lisa returned. "I heard you're expecting again."

"Yeah," Ellie smiled and leaned her head against Lucifer's arm cause she couldn't put it directly on his shoulders, especially in flats. "We are." She then nudged Lucifer. "Give her the thing! Don't forget to give her the thing!"

"What thing?" Lisa asked

Lucifer gave Ellie a look before pulling out a large, shiny box. "I was going to, Eleanor," he said through his teeth. "I wouldn't forget. I was thinking to do it in private." He gave Lisa a look. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

"Sure," Lisa nodded.

They left Ellie heading toward the kitchen and when they were alone, Lucifer said to Lisa, "Lee talks a lot about you, you know. In a good way. You've made quite an impression on him." He showed her the box again. "I stole this from my mother. Don't worry, she doesn't even like it. But my dad gave it to her..eons ago. And I want you to have it. Welcome to the family."

"Th...thank you," Lisa said. She looked at the box, hesitant to open it because she had no idea what power it had. "I...I can open it, right? It's not gonna like, explode or blind me or anything is it?"

"Well, it's quite big and shiny," Lucifer replied. "So be prepared for that. But other than that, no. Nothing overpowering or dangerous about it."

"Good," Lisa smiled. "Okay." She started to open it, and closed it quickly. "Are you sure you want to give this to me?" She asked Lucifer. "Why don't you give it to Ellie?"

"I wanted to," Lucifer said. "But she said...it was too showy for her. Go ahead and have it without guilt."

That made Lisa more able to open the box, and when she saw what was in it, she gasped. It was what looked like a diamond, but it glowed. "It's beautiful!" She gasped, and slipped it on her finger. "Why do I get a sense this isn't just a diamond?"

"It's not," Lucifer smiled. "It's...one of the first stars, I think. Dad pulled it out of the sky for my mother."

"Seriously?" Lisa's jaw dropped.

"Yeah, things between my parents were good once," he told her with a sigh. "Shame it didn't last though." He then assured her, "It's not unlucky, I swear!"

"I don't think it is," Lisa assured him, although she was still unable to take her eyes off the ring. "Thank you. It's lovely. And I...I really like being with your son."

"No problem," Lucifer told her. "It's truly my honor to give it to you."

"I was thinking about asking Angelica about wedding stuff," Lisa said, putting a hand on his arm as he turned away. "Is she here?"

"No, she's been...kidnapped," Lucifer replied. "We have all our best people on it."

"You don't sound too worried," Lisa told him.

"Oh, I am," Lucifer replied. "I want to _murde_ r whoever did it. But at the same time, Angelica is my daughter and I know that, whatever's happened, she'll be able to handle herself until the rescue. That's what stops me from going crazy."

"Well, she'll be fine," Lisa told him. "I just know it."

"Thank you," Lucifer replied. "But enough about me and my problems. Lee wasn't too far behind us, so if you'd like to get the door for him..." The doorbell rang. "See?"

"All right, you go enjoy," Lisa told him. "I'll go let Lee in."

She did and was, of course, stunned by sight of him. "Blue suit," she got out. "I...see?" She gestured at her blue dress. "You look good." Then she slammed the door in his face before opening it again, her voice full of nervous laughter. "Sorry about that. I didn't...I didn't know why...please come in..."

"You look so nice," he said, making her laugh in an even more embarrassing way. Finally, he just grabbed her and kissed her soundly to get her mouth closed.

"Thank you," she said when they finally pulled apart. "I needed that. You want a drink?"

"Sure. but you'll probably need it more than I will when I tell you what I have to tell you," he said. But before he could get a word out, the door opened again and Beatrice strode in and threw her coat at Lisa.

"Put it on a cedar hanger," she demanded. "Don't just let it get dirty on the floor!"

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm not the maid!" Lisa yelled. "And you do realize that you're at an _engagement_ party, right? For me and Lee? Did that escape your notice?" She turned and hissed at Lee. "Why is she here?"

"She invited herself," Lee replied. "And it's easier to just let her come than fight her."

"Oh, you may be afraid to fight her, but I'm not!" Lisa said and faced the other woman. "You can either leave on your own, or I can get one of my dad's people to throw you out. Your choice."

Beatrice just shook her head. "I just came for the drinks," she said. "Although I don't see what Lee sees in you at all, I'm content to bide my time. Even if I won't be his wife, I can always be his mistress when he gets bored with you." She then strode off, leaving Lee and Lisa struck dumb.

"Don't worry," Lee assured her at last. "That's not gonna happen."

"You don't have to assure me," Lisa said. "She and her stupid threats don't scare me at all."

"You...really?" Lee asked.

"Really," Lisa confirmed. "I mean, do you _want_ them to?"

"No, no," Lee shook his head. "Of course not!" He paused, nibbled on her earlobe, and whispered, "Although every thought in my head is about skipping this silly party, taking you and a bottle of wine upstairs and having an even better party for two, since your father made such an effort for us, we should probably show our faces for at least a little while. Don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess," Lisa sighed. "Even though I think this party is stupid and I wanted something much more intimate."

They walked side by side for a little while before Lee reached for Lisa's hand and she responded by taking it in a tight grip. "We gotta stick together," she said. Then she saw her father coming toward them. "All right," she got out. "Take a deep breath. Here goes nothing!"

"Here you two are!" Elijah cried. "You look wonderful Lisa, dear, and Lee, nice suit! Looks like you went to that tailor I recommended, didn't you?"

"Yes, sir," Lee nodded. "And you were correct, he does do wonderful work!"

"Good, good," Elijah said. "We're going to start with dinner. I got a giant roast, so I hope you're hungry!"

"Only the good stuff for us, huh?" Lisa got out, her tone dry.

"Of course," Elijah nodded and ignored the tone. "This is a special day, I'm not going to cut corners!" He ushered them into the dining room and Lisa found to her shock that every inch of the table was covered with food, from main dishes to things to nibble on, plus what she recognized as coolers full of blood for people who needed them.

"And how are we supposed to eat all this _and_ a two foot tall cake?" She got out.

"It'll all work out," Elijah said. "Just trust me." He led her to the head of the table and pulled out the chair. "Since you're the bride, that's where you sit. And Lee, sit on her right."

Lee did as he was asked and after that, they continued their little show, eating just enough to seem like part of it, but also playing footsie under the table when no one was looking, and making their kiss after they cut the cake to much applause last a little longer than it needed to.

By then, Lisa had had enough. "May I be excused?" She asked her father. "I'm not feeling well."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elijah apologized. He knew that something fishy was going on and that the sickness she was pleading was just an excuse, but since she'd already made an appearance at dinner and ate some of the cake, there wasn't much more he could do without causing a fuss himself. "Lee and I will host for you. It's fine."

"Actually, I sort of...think I would feel better if he was with me," Lisa replied.

"Yes," Lee said, not missing a beat. "You know, my mother knew an excellent remedy for stomach sickness."

"Oh, why don't you show me?" Lisa got out and then quickly pulled Lee up the stairs before stopping halfway and zapping them into her room.

"Well, that was close!" Lee breathed before pulling her to him and helping her off with her clothes. "It seems he's always that persistent."

"Yeah," Lisa nodded as he rubbed between her legs and gently pushed her toward her bed. "It's...it's really...oh, that's good!"

They both soon landed on the bed with a thump and then when they were both undressed and properly protected, Lisa pulled the covers over both of them, unsure of what she liked more: the feeling of the silk sheets or Lee's hands roaming over her body.

She ran her fingers through his dark hair and dimmed the lights as he parted her legs and slowly tasted her.

"Oh, there you go again," she chuckled and closed her eyes. "Lee, that's very good!" When she climaxed, he held her close against his lithe, hard body, and then after nibbling on her fingers and licking her neck, he slipped inside her, entering her gently over and over again as she laughed and whispered his name until, exhausted, he rolled off her.

" _That's_ what I call an engagement party!" Lisa breathed as Lee pushed some hair out of her eyes and she zapped up some wine. "Now I'm kinda hungry again. You want more of that cake? I was gonna get some for myself."

"Of course!" Lee grinned, admiring her from behind as she emerged naked from bed. "Don't forget to put on a robe, though. We wouldn't want to shock your father's delicate sensibilities!"

"I wouldn't forget," she promised and put a light blue robe on. "Don't worry. I promise you won't have to wait too long for me."

"I have something I need to get from my car while you're out," he said and began dressing. "So it's really not a problem. I know you won't take too long."

* * *

Lisa made her way to the kitchen to get the cake, but paused on the way when she heard her father and Lucifer talking about her and Lee. Her father frowned on eavesdropping, but Lisa figured that since it was her that they were talking about, she was entitled to listen. She stopped and looked, keeping quiet and not moving a muscle so they wouldn't see her and she would know every word. It could be harmless talk, but the more she listened, the more she discovered that it wasn't.

"...So we're agreed," her father told Lucifer. "You tell Lee to break things off with Lisa and I will give you what you need to free Sammy from the grip of the Dragon Lady, thus rescuing both him and your daughter from this awful situation they both find themselves in. Do we have a deal?"

"I hate having to choose between my son and my daughter," Lucifer replied. "And I need to ask you something: why is it that you don't want Lee and Lisa together? She seems happy with him. Why would you ruin it? If this is just for you...if you're attempting to break them up because as the father, you think you can do whatever you want with your child's life, I won't stand for it! I'll find another way to save my daughter and Sammy, I-"

Lisa stared at her father and Lucifer for a few seconds more, her body frozen with shock before she turned away. Her dad didn't want her to be with Lee? And he was bribing Lucifer to help break them up? Then what was this party for? Just to fuel his ego? Probably.

She sighed. This knowledge should have made her the happiest person alive. She hadn't even wanted to be engaged to Lee in the first place. But when he'd arrived, opened the door, and literally swept her off her feet before giving her the biggest kiss ever and what seemed to be a genuinely happy smile...she felt things. Things she didn't hate. In fact, the thought of them going away was terrible.

She had to tell Lee and she had to tell Lee _now_ before their fathers ruined everything! Their fathers and that stupid Beatrice woman. She'd been trying to shamelessly flirt with Lee all through dinner and even though Lee had ignored her, Lisa still was trying to overcome the urge to punch that... _woman_ in the face.

She ran to his car, and stood behind him as he slammed the door closed while clutching a tiny box that he'd come out briefly to grab.

"Hey no peeking," he said as he turned. "This is your present. It's a surprise...for our engagement."

"How about we make it a wedding present?" Lisa asked, trying not to shiver in her robe and slippers. "What do you think?"

"Oh, I would hate to make you wait that long for it," Lee told her. "We don't even know when our wedding is!"

"I'm asking you to elope, you fool!" Lisa cried, her voice full of exasperation. "Before that Beatrice gets her claws in you and our fathers try and break us up!"

"They're doing what?" Lee asked.

"Sorry I can't explain more," Lisa cried breathlessly, throwing herself in the front seat of Lee's car. "Let's just go, let's just get married. Please?"

"I...are you sure you want to get married in a bathrobe?" Lee asked.

Lisa zapped herself into the blue dress again as Lee climbed in beside her and turned the key. "What bathrobe?" She questioned with a grin. "Do you want to do this? It seems like you want to do this, even though it's insane!"

"Yes," Lee nodded and kissed her quickly before going down the driveway and into the street. "I do!"


	50. Ladies Take The Lead

"So now that we're...getting married," Lisa said as she listened to the hum of the engine, "Where do you want to do it? Wanna go see a judge or something? It would be quick."

Lee smirked. "Look, I know that part of why we're doing this so expediently is fear of separation but I think we can do better than five minutes at a courthouse! What about a little atmosphere?"

"Well where would we find a place that would marry us on such short notice?" Lisa questioned. "I hope you know one, because I don't."

"Don't worry your pretty head about it," Lee told her, squeezing her knee and then running his hand over her bare thigh. "I have a friend got his marrying-people credentials not too long ago. We can see him. He works at a nice little chapel."

Lisa was surprised. "You're a demon and you have a friend who works at a chapel? I don't know about this."

"Well, we know this whole thing is truly a charade, so if you don't wanna get married, we won't get married," Lee shrugged. "I want to, but your feelings matter more."

"No, no...it was my idea, so of course I want to," Lisa replied. "I just...when I blurted it out in the heat of the moment, I didn't expect _you_ to say yes, so the fact that we're doing it...it's kind of surreal. But definitely something I want to happen."

"Good," Lee grinned. "And lucky for us, my friend isn't too far away."

Lisa smiled and reached for his hand as they drove, part of her asking why the heck she was doing this and another answering, because she wanted to and why the heck not?

* * *

Lee was not lying about his friend. Soon he and Lisa were at a little chapel that resembled something out of a painting. Lee parked the car and helped Lisa out, and they made their way in, but paused just inside the door as he looked into her eyes. "I...I know we said we were going to do this because we wanted to," he told Lisa. "But one last time, I want to ask if you are okay with going through with it. You don't have to. This was just a game I was playing to tick off your father originally. I didn't expect it to actually go anywhere, and especially not for it to end up this way. I just...I thought you were beautiful and the only way I would be able to be close to you and not have your father be mad or get in the way was to put on an act."

"An act?" Lisa asked. "What do you mean?"

"I need to confess this before we get married so you know everything and have a chance to change your mind if you want to," Lee continued. "Lucifer's not my father. Well, not biologically, anyway. I'm just a bastard that my mom was pregnant with when Lucifer and my mom were dating. I don't know who my real father is cause my mother didn't care to tell me. She probably didn't know herself." He sighed. "Now you know that you're about to attach yourself to a demon who's a liar and a nobody. Feel free to leave."

Lisa looked him deep in the eyes. "Thank you for being honest with me," she said, taking his face in her hands. "But now that you've gotten all that off your chest, I just have three things to say."

"And they are?" Lee questioned.

"Shut up, kiss me, and let's get married!" Lisa smiled. Lee did just that and as they made their way to Lee's friend's office, she said, "It doesn't matter to me that Lucifer's not your real father. He obviously thinks of you as a son, so it's like the same thing. You don't have to be blood to be family and everyone needs someone and all that. You just wanted a place to belong and I get it."

Lee gave her a side hug as he let out a breath. "I'm very glad you do!"

They didn't delay another minute. They found his friend and began the impromptu ceremony.

"You wanna say your own vows?" Lee's friend Jeff asked. "Or did you have time to think of any, what with this being a spur of the moment thing and all?"

"You wanna do your own vows?" Lee asked Lisa.

"Sure," Lisa replied. "If you want to."

So the wedding began, with just them and Jeff in that tiny, cozy chapel, and when it was time for vows, Lisa went first, looking Lee right in the eye.

"I didn't like you at first," she said. "Sure you made me feel things physically, but I...I need more than just that from the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. I need...honesty, and warmth, and caring...all of which you've come to show me. That's why I'm...I'm so glad to be here today." She then gave Lee a slight nod. "Your turn."

"At first, you were just a pretty face to me," Lee confessed. "A challenge, since you didn't like me very much at all. To get your attention, I lied and I schemed and it was okay for a while. Until I realized that I really liked you. Telling you the truth about me was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but since it didn't drive you away...since it put us right here, I'm glad I did it, and I'm glad we can start our life together with all the big things out in the open."

"Me too," Lisa said. She leaned forward and they were about to kiss when Lee paused and turned to Jeff. "Is it okay for me to kiss her now?"

"Oh, sure!" Jeff nodded. "The second you started talking, I gave up leading this thing. If you've said all you want to say, please go ahead and kiss her!"

So Lee didn't wait another second. He kissed Lisa soundly and dipped her backwards, and then when they pulled apart, Jeff said, "I now pronounce you man and wife. I know it's what I was supposed to say before you kissed but whatever, you're married."

"I sure am," Lee grinned. "And I'm so lucky too."

"Yeah," Lisa nodded. "So true!"

They knew the next step was to face their fathers, but that could wait. They were both so happy that there was no reason to think of that now.

* * *

"Would you let me go?" Angelica shouted as Sammy tied her to his bed. "I told you I didn't want to have anything to do with you! I won't stand for this!"

"You're not standing," He said, grinning and climbing in bed beside her, pushing up her shirt and running his fingers lightly over her skin so that she gasped. "You're on your back just the way I like you."

"Oh, you _bastard_!" She cried and spit in his face.

"Well, gee, if looks could kill, I would be a dead man," he chuckled after wiping the spit away and running his hands up her thigh right up to her panties. She just about felt his finger slip under them.

"Don't!" she whimpered, knowing that she would like the touching, even though Sammy was so evil because even though he _was_ evil, he still knew all her sweet spots and she hated someone so evil having that information. "Please." She'd never felt so helpless in her life. And she hated it.

"Why not?" Sammy whispered, leaning toward her so that his top lip was touching her bottom lip as he gently ran his surprisingly warm hands over her arms, belly, and neck. "What are you afraid of?"

"You..." Angelica whispered. "How you are right now. How I want you so much but...you're not the man I know. I'm afraid you're going to hurt me because you don't seem to have a lot of control over yourself. So...please just go away and don't push me anymore. I want the old Sammy back. Is he in there somewhere? Once you can get me him, then we'll talk." She paused. "Of course...if you untie me, it would be a different story. It all depends on how important having control over me is."

Sammy's eyes changed, his face became uncertain for a moment as if he were back to his old self, and then he growled, "I'll think about it," before stomping out of the room without untying her as Angelica wondered how long it would take him to come back.

* * *

"You really are no fun at all!" Sammy cried later, his voice full of irritation as he untied her and let her off the bed about an hour later. "I brought you here mainly to have fun and we're not having any fun at all! What kind of a freak are you that you can't have any fun unless you're the boss of it?"

He paused. Stopped. And turned to face her. "Wait a minute," he said, picturing her in leather and hitting a riding crop against her hand. "You've been in Hell torturing bad people, haven't you?"

"Damn right!" Angelica nodded. "And what I wouldn't do to kick your sorry butt too."

"Here's the deal," Sammy said and removed his shirt. "You wear this-" he zapped a tight leather outfit on her. "And then you can wallop me all you want. Punish bad little me." He grinned and got closer, nibbling on her ear before whispering, "Come on, you know you want to."

Angelica chuckled. Now that she was no longer restrained, helpless, and frightened, she could admit it. "Yeah," she nodded, her lips against his earlobe before she nibbled on it. "You're really gonna hurt for tying me up, you know."

He pulled her to him and kissed her soundly as the temperature of the room seemed to rise dramatically. She gave him a slap when she felt his hands cup her bottom.

"None of that," she said, then promptly did the same thing to him and nibbled on his neck, a nibble which soon turned into a full on bite.

"Yes!" He cried as he felt the pain, his fingers threading through her hair and giving it a pull.

Then when Angelica was finally done, her face covered with his blood, angelica pushed him onto the bed, and began whacking him with the riding crop she'd zapped up. "I'll teach you to tie me up!" She yelled as she hit him as hard as she could.

"Harder!" Sammy yelled, laughter in his voice, which infuriated her more and made her switch to a whip. "Is that the best you can do?"

Finally, she tired out and lowered the whip. Even though he was covered in blood and what had to be incredibly painful injuries, Sammy turned to look at her and she was still smiling. "Are you done?" He asked and finally winced.

"Well, with that, anyway," Angelica assured him.

Once he had healed, she climbed in bed beside him and he peeled off her outfit and panties after getting out of his pants. "I think it's my turn now," he told her.

"Do what you want," Angelica replied, challenge in her eyes. "I look forward to it."

"Good," Sammy responded, burying himself inside her with several hard thrusts as she cried out.

Then she threw her arms around him and pulled him down to kiss her as she raked her nails down his back. "Is that the best you can do?" She asked him.

"I think it's not bad," he told her. "Don't tell me you didn't enjoy yourself."

"I'm not sure," she replied. "You think you can do it a little longer so I can be certain?"

"You're a tough lady," Sammy replied. "But okay, and gave a big thrust as Angelica laughed and screamed and thought that if she wasn't the devil's daughter, she would most definitely going to Hell for this.


	51. The Runaway Bride And Groom

"Oh, now!" Lisa said as Jeff led them into a large house that seemed much too opulent for a man of the cloth. "You've already married us. You don't need to let us spend the night in your castle too!"

"I bet he's got some sort of ulterior motive," Lee said. "He never does something entirely for free."

"Actually I'm going away this weekend to see my mother and I want someone to watch the house while I'm gone," Jeff said. "You don't mind, do you? That doesn't change things?"

"Oh, of course not!" Lee told him with a smile, clapping his friend on the back as he led them to a bedroom with a four poster bed and red brocade curtains, everything decorated in red and gold. "We don't mind at all."

"And this is such a lovely room," Lisa said, wondering how Jeff could have a house this big and resolving to ask Lee.

"If you want to spend your wedding night here, go ahead,"Jeff told them.

"Thank you," Lisa smiled and threw her whole self onto the bed with a thump. "Oh, this is nice!" She proclaimed. "Nicer than my father's at home, even!"

"And did you bring clothes and things?" Jeff questioned. "I mean, they all might not fit properly, but I have stuff around if you didn't."

"Thanks," Lee told him and motioned at Lisa. "But she's a witch and can zap up pretty much anything."

"Good," Jeff nodded, then went and got a suitcase, throwing things into it. "I'm already late and Mom doesn't like to wait for me."

"Yes," Lee smiled tightly and began pushing Jeff toward the door. "Mustn't disappoint Mommy. Have a nice trip!"

"Okay, I get the message," Jeff replied with laughter in his voice as he tried to keep his balance while being pushed and holding onto two suitcases. "You want to be alone with your new wife. I'm leaving now."

"Bye!" Lee replied and slammed the door loudly and then ran back to Lisa, who smirked at him as he entered the room again and tried to catch his breath.

"Did you really shove poor Jeff out of his own house?" She asked and came toward him, kissing him. "Shame on you!"

"Oh, yes," Lee grinned and kissed Lisa again before helping her off with her shirt and bra. "Shame on me."

Lisa ran her hands over Lee's bare chest and undid his pants, grinning widely as they fell to his ankles and she realized he wasn't wearing any underwear.

"This is interesting," she said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't want to waste time," Lee explained. "So I left my underwear at the house after the first time."

"I knew I was marrying a smart man!" Lisa giggled as they fell back on the bed together, he parted her legs and kissed up her inner thighs, and tasted her. "Good," Lisa shut her eyes and relaxed. "Very good!"

"And it's just the beginning," Lee whispered against her earlobe, telling her to shut her eyes before fingering her as she reached forward and ruffled his hair. "I feel so bad having sex with a married woman!"

"And is the fact that that married woman is your wife good or bad?" Lisa questioned and let out a squeak as he buried himself inside her and pulled her against his body after she got out of bed for a moment to lower the lights.

"It's great," Lee replied as she nibbled on his neck and gently lapped the blood up with her tongue. "The best part of all this."

Soon they both climaxed and fell back onto the mattress, exhausted, taking a short nap in each other's arms, and then putting on robes and heading to the kitchen.

"I could zap something up for us to eat," Lisa said, putting a hand on her grumbling stomach.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Lee replied, taking her hand and kissing the palm. "Let me cook for you. Please."

"What will you make me?" Lisa asked.

"It's a surprise," Lee grinned. "Do you trust me?"

"Well, I married you, didn't I?" Lisa told him. She then sat down with a drink and watched him bustle around the kitchen. She did trust him. She just hoped he didn't make anything too exotic, like squid or cow brains or something.

But she needn't have worried. With a little assist from Lisa when it came to getting ingredients, he made them peanut chicken and egg noodles with steamed broccoli and white wine.

"Good?" He asked.

"Marvelous!" Lisa nodded, her mouth full before swallowing. "I nominate you to do all the cooking, okay?"

"It'll be my pleasure," Lee replied, then kissed her, waited for her to finish her plate and then went to get the rice pudding for dessert.

* * *

They had a nice weekend and then decided to go to Elijah's house and face the music. Lisa knew it would not be pretty because her father had been trying to call her all the time for running out on the party and she hadn't answered.

When Jeff returned and they bade him farewell, Lisa then requested they take the longest way home possible. "I know my dad is going to hate us," she said. "Let's...let's have peace for a little longer."

Lee did what she asked, but eventually they arrived home and found Elijah standing in the driveway, a frown on his face. "And just where the hell have you two been?" He asked. "I've been worried sick!"

"Oh, we...we eloped!" Lisa said. "That's where we were. We wanted to do it before you and Lucifer ruined it for us!"

Then Elijah's eyes rolled back in his head and staggered, starting to fall, but stopping himself. "I can still ruin it for you," he told his daughter. "In fact, now that you're here, we're going to go inside and have a little chat with Lucifer and Ellie. They got here about an hour ago."

"I don't know what you think you're gonna get out of this," Lisa pouted as she was marched into the house like a prisoner with Lee trailing behind, eyes on the ground. "I heard you and him talking! He doesn't mind us being together!"

"And there's the problem!" Elijah raged. "It seems I have to talk sense into everyone!"

They got in the house and immediately, Lucifer came to hug Lisa and then give Lee a reassuring nod. "Whatever you two have done, let me assure you that I'm not against it," he said. "What Elijah is saying does not represent my own feelings. I just want to make that clear."

"That's enough," Elijah snapped.

"Just a minute!" Ellie stood up. "You can't talk to him that way. Mind your own damn business! And how dare you think that you can tell your adult child how to live her life? How _dare_ you!"

"Okay, enough," Amy said. "Let's just..all take a deep breath and calm down so we can talk about what happened like civilized people, _okay_? Elijah, you stand in one corner, and Ellie, you stand in the other."

"Fine," Ellie stomped off to a corner and grumbled under her breath until Amy was convinced they'd cooled down and invited them to come and sit.

"Okay, I'm gonna run this conversation now," she said calmly. "Lee, Lisa, where did you go when you left the party?"

"We eloped," Lisa got out. "I heard that Dad was trying to plot with Lucifer to separate Lee and me and I couldn't let that happen, so I proposed before they could do anything. I just...I just want to be with Lee and I don't understand how that's wrong. Is it because he's a demon? Cause you're not exactly the most harmless guy in the world, no matter how you pretend otherwise. And if you think he'll be bad to me, he won't. He is one of the few people outside of my family who makes me feel loved and safe and valued and you are _not_ going to take that away from me, especially if you love me as much as you say. I'm done having this discussion. What's finished is finished and I'm not gonna undo it, all right?" She got up and strode off. "Goodbye!"

"Well, that went well," Lucifer got out.

"Not the time to say something," Ellie whispered. Then she looked at Lee, coming to put her arm around him for the first time. "It's gonna be all right," she told him. "Are you okay? Is there anything I can get you? That _we_ can get you?" She gestured at herself and Lucifer.

"No, thanks," he told her, hugging her back and pulling away. "I think I need to go be with Lisa now."

"You do that, son," Lucifer told him. "You go be with your wife. We'll handle this. Don't worry."

"Just don't kill anyone, you two," Lee requested. "Okay?"

"Of course we won't," Ellie replied. "If anyone has the right to do that, it's you, so we swear we'll stay out of it."

"Thanks!" Lee said. "You're the best." He then ran to find Lisa crying in her bed.

"It was so perfect!" She sobbed. "Why couldn't we just stay at Jeff's? Why did we have to come home and ruin everything!"

"Is this really home anymore?" He asked her. "Cause you know, if it's not, I've got room in my bed at Lucifer's. What do you think of that?"

Lisa sat up and sniffled as he handed her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes with. "I think that would be nice," she said as he took her in his arms and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Thanks."

* * *

Even though Lucifer knew he should feel bad about the deception that Lee had taken part in against Elijah, he couldn't spare him any room in his head since he was still thinking about Angelica. Was she hurting? Was she scared? Was she dead? Please, Dad, no. Not that.

Ellie spent several nights in bed alone as Lucifer dealt with Angelica's kidnapping. Dogged by insomnia, he began to stalk around the house at all hours of the night when he wasn't sitting by his phone, waiting for her to call.

And then, one night, she did.

"Angelica!" He cried, snatching the phone up when he saw her number. "Darling, are you all right?"

"Yes," Angelica replied. It sounded like she was crying. And exhausted. "I'm at my and Sammy's house. Would you come get me? Please?"

"Of course darling," Lucifer replied, a giant weight off his shoulders. "Hold on just a little longer. I'm coming."

"Thank you," Angelica told him. "I promise I won't go anywhere!"

He ended the call and was making his way out the door when Vincent and Valerie caught him leaving.

"Where are you going?" Valerie asked.

"Your sister called," Lucifer got out. "Angelica's ready to come back."

"Is she okay?" Vincent asked as Valerie grabbed her coat. "We're coming with you."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll love that," Lucifer said. "She needs all the family she can get now."

With Dexter driving because he was worried about Angelica too, they made their way to Sammy and Angelica's.

"I can't believe she was there the whole time and no one knew," Vincent huffed. "Does anyone else in this car feel like an idiot or is it just me?"

"Don't beat yourself up," Valerie told him. "Sammy's got powers. He probably hid it all from us or something."

They reached the house, and Valerie and Lucifer were both out of the car before Dexter had completely stopped it, running over to a sobbing and shivering Angelica, who was huddled on the front step.

"You're so cold!" Valerie proclaimed. "Why didn't you zap yourself home? And is the bastard you call a boyfriend here? I'd like to rip his tongue out of his throat!"

"Focus!" Vincent told her as he and his father led Valerie to the car. "Vengeance for Sammy shouldn't be the point now. That can come later!"

"Right," Valerie growled and punched in both of Sammy's front windows. For this reason alone, she was glad that Sammy and Angelica had moved out of his apartment and into a house. It was harder to commit noticeable property destruction in an apartment. "Sorry."

They got home and after Valerie got Angelica some tea to warm herself up with, Lucifer picked her up and took her to her bedroom. But just before he set her down, she had a request.

"I don't really want to be alone tonight," she got out. "I know it's kind of childish, but...will you stay in my room with me, at least until I fall asleep?"

"Of course, I won't take my eyes off of you," Lucifer promised, his dark eyes glistening a little. He took off her shoes and socks and waited for her to zap herself into some pajamas, then changed into a set of his own before climbing into bed with his daughter, holding her close, and as he felt her relax and watched her eyes close, he realized he felt calmer too. And instead of just going back to Ellie, he pulled the covers over himself and Angelica, kissing her hair gently. He'd told her he wasn't gonna let her out of his sight, at least not until morning. And he meant it.

* * *

The next morning, he felt himself being poked until he woke up.

"Morning!" Angelica told him cheerfully.

"You seem better," Lucifer told her with a smile. "That's so wonderful to see!"

"Well, it's cause I can't wait to hear how to get the Dragon out of Sammy," Angelica told him. "Grandpa won't do squat, so you must at least have some ideas!"

"Elijah had a way," Lucifer confessed, wishing for the one time in his existence that he could bring himself to lie. Angelica looked so hopeful and he knew that what he was gonna tell her would just hurt her all over again. "He had a way but...I couldn't bring myself to take him up on it."

"Why not?" Angelica yelled. "Don't you know how important this is to me?"

"He said that in order to save Sammy, I would have to help him break up Lee and Lisa and I couldn't do that to Lee, I just couldn't!" Lucifer sighed.

"Oh, so the bastard demon that's not even your son gets to be happy while I get to be miserable?" Angelica spat. "Nice to know where your priorities lie, Dad! You're just as bad as Grandpa! There's always something or someone that's more important than me, isn't there?"

"Just let me explain!" Lucifer got out.

"There's nothing else to explain," Angelica spat. Then, her phone rang. Angelica saw who it was and answered rather snappishly, "What, Grandpa? Not really in the mood to talk to you right now!"

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that Sammy will get better," Steve told her. "Not entirely. There will be some after effects of his possession, but...he won't be as bad as he is now as long as he has you. Can you do that for him?"

"Yes," Angelica said. "You couldn't have told me that before now?"

"No," Steve told her. "Now was the right time. When you needed it most. Goodbye, dear."


	52. Can You Keep A Secret?

"Sean!" Lucifer exclaimed as Junior came striding into his office. "If you're looking for your daughter, she's off talking to Astrid at the Witches' Council about some thing or other, but she should be back soon."

"Oh, no, I actually was wanting to talk to you," Sean said. "I was wondering if I might ask a favor?"

"It depends on what kind," Lucifer replied. "You and your shenanigans have already caused enough trouble and I don't want to have any more."

"No, it's nothing bad!" Junior quickly reassured him. "I just...I've been thinking about my and Sarah's wedding. I want to do something big and fancy for Christmas but as a surprise and I believe I need your and Ellie's help so she doesn't find out until she's supposed to."

"What a perfect time for a celebration!" Lucifer exclaimed with a grin and rose gracefully from his desk. "I've been to lots of parties to celebrate that time of year. How do you feel about large quantities of alcohol? And I bet it goes without saying that there will be no orgies involved?"

"No," Sean shook his head. "This is a wedding, not Saturnalia."

"I knew that," Lucifer assured him. "I was just checking!"

"Thank you," Junior said and leaned forward. "How's Ellie doing? She's not working herself too hard is she? I left her a little note on her desk before I came to see you, but...she's getting rest and eating reasonably well, right?"

"Yes," Lucifer said. "I make sure of that, don't worry."

"Good," Sean told him. "Thank you. I know that because of what we all are, it doesn't really matter as much, but still..."

It was at that moment that Ellie came strolling in. "I hope you're not busy," she said to Lucifer without noticing her father. "I need to take a nap on the couch. I'm exhausted."

"See, Sean?" Lucifer said. "I told you she's getting her rest."

Ellie's head snapped up. "Sorry I didn't notice you, Daddy!" She went over and hugged him. "What brings you here?"

"He just wanted to make sure you were taking care of yourself," Lucifer replied. "Eating your vitamins and not wearing yourself out. And you are, so I told him he has nothing to worry about."

"Nope!" Ellie smiled. "Mom and I worked on that diet for me so I don't go overboard with the junk food and I actually feel better! I'm glad she was so insistent!"

Junior raised an eyebrow. "Part of that was so you wouldn't guard your Oreos so closely. She knows about the bag in the sock drawer in the guest bedroom and I caught her trying to take them. Don't worry, they're safe, though."

"Mom tried to steal my Oreos?!" Ellie sighed as she used her magic to turn the couch in Lucifer's office into a bed and lying down on it as Lucifer put a blanket over her and slipped a pillow under her head. "What a sneaky person! Thank you for safeguarding my treats!"

"You're welcome," Junior replied, ruffling her hair and kissing the top of her head. "So glad to hear you're taking care of yourself. I'm gonna go back to the hospital now."

"And keep thinking of the ideas for you and Sarah's wedding and let me know," Lucifer told him. "I have some ideas already!"

"You and Mom are finally having a wedding?" Ellie asked, her eyes snapping open.

"Yes," Junior said, pausing by the door. "I'm planning for Christmas, but it's a surprise, so don't tell your mother, okay?"

"Okay," Ellie nodded and shut her eyes again, a smile on her lips. "I promise I won't say a word."

* * *

With help secured (including some from Angelica, who was grateful for the distraction cause it stopped her from thinking of her anger at Lee and her father) Sean then began the task of doing all he could to keep the surprise a secret, which was not easy, especially as Sarah was beginning to get impatient to wed.

She began dropping more pointed hints one Saturday as they sat in the living room watching the twins play as he read his newspaper.

"This is a very nice ring," Sarah told him. "Thank you for it. I just...I'm so glad we're finally gonna get married soon. Why don't we do it tomorrow?"

Junior froze for a moment, but managed to keep calm. "Yes, it's very nice," He got out. "I'm glad you like it. And we can't get married tomorrow. Or any time soon. They have me on a grueling schedule at the hospital. Sorry." He kissed her head and went back to his paper as Sarah stared. Then she went back to her ring, staring as it shown in the light. He was obviously in no hurry to marry and since she had the ring, that wasn't so bad...but she really wanted to be! What was wrong with him?!

She tried to distract herself by separating Elliot and Juliette who were fighting over a toy, shrieking and pulling at each other's hair. Having twin toddlers was definitely a challenge, but, she told herself, it wouldn't last long. She then looked up just time to catch Junior grinning behind his paper.

"What was that smirk?" She asked. "What's so funny? Why won't you marry me? If you wanted to, you would, so can we do it?" She worked up some tears and pushed his paper down so he was forced to look her in the eye. "Please? Please? Please? I don't like you evading the subject like this. It makes me nervous!"

"You have no reason to be nervous, all right?" Sean told her firmly. "I want to marry you. I will marry you. It's just...it's not the right time, okay?"

"What is the right time?" Sarah asked. "I didn't think that mattered if you loved someone. _Any_ time should be the right time."

"It's not as simple as that!" Junior protested. "You know I have to be available whenever they need me at the hospital! I can't just impulsively do something no matter how much I want to!"

Sarah's eyes narrowed and she quickly zapped the twins into their room before she grabbed Junior by his collar and pulled him close. "Here we are again," She said through her teeth. "I thought you were done putting your career over your family! I thought you understood the importance of balance now, but apparently I was wrong!" She pulled the ring off her finger and threw it on the floor. "Well, you can just take this ring and shove it up your-"

Hey!" Junior interrupted and picked up, holding it out to her. "You're gonna wanna keep this."

"I'm not keeping anything that's a lie!" Sarah cried. She then went into the kitchen and began breaking every dish she could get her hands on.

"Oh, this is so childish!" Junior told her. "What do you think this will prove?"

"Nothing, but it feels _marvelous!"_ Sarah grinned and promptly broke another dish.

Junior sighed, looking around at the mess, then cleaned it up with a wave of his hand and grabbed her after putting her ring in his pocket. "You need to stop," he said firmly. "You're out of control!"

"Yeah, well you're a jerk and I don't have to do what you say so screw you!" Sarah shouted. "I won't be led on by you again! I won't!"

"I'm not leading you on," he said, kissing her soundly and then picking her up and putting her over his shoulder. "I promise."

They got to the bedroom and Sean shut the door behind them, kissing Sarah soundly.

"Don't you kiss me!" She said and then ripped off his shirt, her hands going over his abs. "How dare you!"

"Yeah," Junior nodded, his eyes roaming over her body. She was wearing skintight workout clothes and he just knew he was gonna have to peel them off her. "How dare I?" He pushed her onto the bed and removed his pants and boxers as she looked up at him.  
"I can't believe you!" She cried, her breath picking up as she peeled off her pants. "You...you want us to have sex so I'll stop being mad at you!"

"Well, yes," Junior nodded, climbing in after her and getting off everything else she was wearing before kissing her belly. "It'll work, won't it?"

"Yes!" Sarah huffed. "It will, damn it!" She then let out a cry as he swirled his tongue around her belly button and fingered her. "Good?" He asked with a smile at the sight of her wide brown eyes.

"Good, yes," She nodded. "Very good!"

He then nibbled on her neck, gently licking the dripping blood from her skin as he slipped inside her and entered her over and over again.

"Yes!" She cried. "Yes!" She then felt sweet pain as he gently bit one nipple and then the other before gently sucking on them. "Keep doing that!" She said. "Please."

So he did and soon, they were both sweating and exhausted. "Wow," she got out. "Wow!"

He took her in his arms then and stroked her hair. "I love you," he said. "Don't you forget that. I know I messed up, but it's not gonna happen again, I swear." He then waved his hand and the ring floated out of his pants pocket and over to Sarah. "Will you take your ring back now? Please?"

"All right, I'm sory," Sarah nodded, plucking it out of the air and sticking it back on before cuddling against him once more. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Sean told her. "I'm glad we're not fighting anymore. I don't like it."

"But I like what comes after," Sarah grinned and touched him under the blanket.

"Yeah," Sean closed his eyes and relaxed. "Me too."

* * *

"I just...I'm so excited about Dad wanting to throw a surprise wedding for Mom!" Ellie exclaimed with a wide grin as she and Lucifer waited for the ultrasound tech to come so they could find out what kind of baby they were gonna have. "It's so _romantic_!" She paused. "I know I can trust you not to do anything weird, right? I don't want anyone getting drunk and streaking or anything like that."

"Now Eleanor, I will do my best to guard against that," Lucifer assured her. "But if it just _happens_ that some people have too much and things happen...well it is what it is." But there was a grin on his lips that made her roll her eyes.

"All right," the tech said as she came in. "Let's have a look here. Hop up on the table please, Ellie."

"Whatever we're having, I bet it won't be big!" Ellie exclaimed, running her hands over her body, which was noticeably pregnant, but not huge. "I've really been watching my diet so I didn't gain as much weight this time."

A short while later, the tech smiled. "I wouldn't worry. The babies are fine."

"See, Eleanor," Lucifer got out. "The babies are..." He froze. "Did you say we're having twins again?"

"Yes," The tech smiled. "A little girl and boy who's trying to moon us, I think."

Lucifer chuckled. "That's my son, all right!"

"Twins again..." Ellie propped herself up on her elbows to get a good look and then laid back down again. "I never would have guessed from how I'm feeling."

"We should probably tell the other children as soon as possible so they can prepare themselves," Lucifer suggested.

"Oh, they'll be fine," Ellie assured him. "It's not like they're tiny. The way it is, I feel like I live with my husband and four roommates I know I gave birth to, which is weird is all get out. I don't think we'll have to worry at all."

* * *

And on basically every count, she was right. Angelica was happy, as was Vincent cause it meant new playmates for Lily Eleanor. Noah, though not a 'kid person' said he was happy for them cause they were happy and very glad he had a room at the club to get away to.

The problem, surprisingly enough, came from Valerie.

"So...you're having another set of twins," she said.

"Yep," Ellie smiled. "You're gonna have another brother and sister!"

"And are you gonna leave them too, like you left Vincent and me?" Valerie asked.

This made Ellie be overcome with guilt. Vincent and Valerie had not exactly been planned and she hadn't been ready for them. Her plan had originally been to give birth and then leave them in Lucifer and Dexter's care while she ran her own life and never looked back. That had changed of course, and she had no idea how Valerie had found out something her mother had been so careful to keep from her and her brother.

"No, of course I won't leave them!" Ellie said. "Where did you find out about that?"

"Dexter had too much to drink one night and he let it slip," Valerie replied. "So nice to know my own mother didn't want me!"

"Well, you...you were a bit of a surprise! Not that I'm blaming you, but..." Ellie defended herself. "I was young and immature! I wasn't ready! But I will be with your brother and sister! It's gonna be so much easier with them growing at a normal pace now and all."

"Oh, and you hold it against me that thanks to some freak of nature I and every other kid you've had haven't ground up 'normal'?" Valerie cried. "You know that's not our fault! You know what? Screw it. I don't have to put up with this anymore. I won't burden you with my presence. I'm gonna leave and you can enjoy spending time with the kids you actually want." She then stomped away without another word.

"Well, that didn't go well at all," Ellie sighed.

"You know I'm a big proponent of honesty, but maybe you were just a bit too honest, Eleanor," Lucifer got out.

"Well, what else should I have said?" Ellie asked. "There's no nice way to say 'I wasn't ready to have kids so I left'. And why does it suddenly not matter at all that I came back and I stayed? Why isn't she thinking about _that_?"

"Don't worry, I'll clean up this mess," Lucifer replied. "You speak to Angelica on my behalf and I'll speak to Valerie on yours."

"Okay, but do you think it will work?" Ellie wanted to know.

"It's anyone's guess with daughters as stubborn as ours, but it's worth a shot," Lucifer replied.


	53. Thanksgiving With Steve And Gwen

"Why are we doing this, Eleanor?" Lucifer whined as they prepared to go to a Thanksgiving dinner for the family, including his father and Gwen and her kids. "You're just gonna be miserable. I can tell you that right now."

"I'm choosing not to believe you," Ellie said optimistically. "Thanksgiving is a day about family so we're all gonna bond and get along if it kills us!"

"This won't really be much of a dinner what with Valerie not talking to you and Angelica not talking to me," Lucifer pointed out.

"So talk with your dad and Gwen," Ellie shrugged. "You can do that, right?"

Then they heard Valerie and Angelica talking about going out.

"Don't be gone too long," she called to them. "We eat in few hours at your grandfather's house!"

"No, thanks," Valerie told her. "We're meeting people who actually like us and haven't screwed us over so we can spend time with them."

"Yeah," Angelica added just as Lucifer opened his mouth to reprimand Valerie. "But you make sure to tell Dad Lee can have my seat...if he hasn't already given it to him like everything else."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry about Lee?" He demanded. "I didn't do it to hurt you. I just did what I thought was fair."

"And how is it fair that Lee gets to keep what makes him happy and I don't?" Angelica demanded.

"Well, you've had it easier than him," Lucifer pointed out. "For one thing, your mother isn't a heartless lunatic."

"The 'Heartless' part is still up for debate," Valerie muttered.

"I'll have you know she stayed for _you_!" Lucifer snapped, looking Valerie in the eye. "She stayed for you and your brother. If it had been just me, she would have run and not look back. Does that not count for anything?"

Valerie scoffed. "No, not if she only did it out of guilt!"

"Okay, you know what, fine!" Ellie snapped. "You two can just go if you want to. Your grouchiness will probably make everyone miserable anyway!"

"Not that we would have come if we didn't have permission not to," Angelica spat. "I mean, would anyone have noticed if we were gone since they have their heads up other people's asses?"

This made Lucifer so angry that his face changed.

"Oh, you think I'm scared of that?" Angelica scoffed. "Well, I'm not! Valerie, let's go!"

"Right," Valerie said and looked at the clock on her phone. "We're already almost late. All the good food's probably gonna be picked over by the time we get there."

They straightened up and marched out of the house, their frames full of dignity as they refused to look back at their parents.

"Calm down," Ellie told Lucifer once the door closed. "Take a deep breath. It'll be okay."

"No, it's not!" Lucifer cried. "You wanted a nice family time and those two had no right to ruin it for you. Who knew we raised such brats?"

"Isn't that a bit of hypocrisy coming from you?" Ellie asked. "You wouldn't go if I didn't want it to so bad either. I mean, don't get me wrong; I'm grateful, but it's true, right? The only reason why you spend as much time with your father is for me?"

Lucifer sighed and took her in his arms. "I would mostly have to agree with that statement," he nodded. "But it's like I've actually found myself telling him to his face, I've...lightened up, ever so slightly, since he put us together and it didn't become an unmitigated disaster."

"Oh?" Ellie smiled. "That's good..." But she didn't want to push anymore. She was saved from having to come up with a response by the arrival of Lee and Lisa and Vincent, Lauren, and kids.

"Are we leaving now?" Vincent asked, trying to keep a grip on a squirming Lily-Eleanor who did _not_ like the pretty blue dress she was being forced to wear and kept trying to pull at it. "Or are we waiting for the girls?"

"No, they left already," Ellie told him. "Who knows if we'll see them."

"They're _still_ not talking to you in a nice way?" Vincent asked. " _Jeez._ "

"I'm surprised _you_ are," Ellie said. "Didn't Valerie tell you why she was mad?"

"Well, yeah, but...you came back after you left, right?" Vincent shrugged. "You came back and I know you love us, so I don't see what the problem is." He paused. "Where's Noah? Is he coming?"

"Yes, but he's gonna meet us there," Ellie said. "He had some stuff to do at the club first."

"And by 'stuff' you mean 'people'," Vincent scoffed.

"Oh, be nice," Lauren chided as Nick took his sister and tried to distract her from her clothes with tricks involving making stuff disappear and reappear. "You were like that too, once."

"Yeah, but I learned not to be," Vincent pointed out as they made their way to the door. "I really don't know about Noah."

"I do," Ellie said cheerfully, since she was one of the few people who actually knew about Noah's feelings for Cassidy that he'd been careful to hide from the family at large. "And I don't think you should worry about your brother."

"Oh, yeah? And why's that?" Vincent asked.

"When your brother wants you to know, he'll tell you," Ellie replied. "Or your grandfather will blurt it out if you say something to him. Depends on how long you want to wait."

"Well I don't, so I think I know what I'll be asking Grandpa," Vincent grinned as they all piled into their cars.

* * *

Gabriel and Lexie were already at Steve's, having dragged a reluctant Michael and Emma (who had just wanted to show up in time for the food and not help with preparation) along with them.

"I'm so excited to have everyone here with us," Steve told Gwen as they worked on dinner while Gabriel and Lexie decorated and Michael and Emma watched TV with Pepper. "My family is being a bit difficult as usual, so I'm glad I'll have Rebecca and _your_ family to talk to."

"Yeah, and they're excited too," Gwen assured him. "Now, we have everything at least _started_ but dessert. Did you say...what did you say you wanted?"

Just then, the doorbell rang. Gwen went to answer it and groaned. "What do you want?" She asked.

"I just...I've been reading up on this holiday," Charlotte said and tried to get inside. "This...ritual sacrifice with pie." She held it out. "I brought the pie. Can I stay?"

"No, but thanks for that," Gwen snapped, taking the pie and slamming the door in Charlotte's face.

"Who was that?" Steve asked.

"Your ex wife brought pie," Gwen exclaimed. "Should we eat it, or throw it away?"

The door opened again and Charlotte strode in. "Oh, just eat it!" She snapped. Then she grinned at the smoke billowing out of the oven. "Look's like something's on fire, dear," she remarked and burst out laughing.

Gwen swore and ran to the oven, suddenly overcome with the urge to throw the pie in Charlotte's face.

"Do you really want to throw that?" Charlotte asked. "What sort of dessert will you give your guests then?"

"Oh, I hate you!" Gwen glared.

Trouble started, Charlotte left to chat with Michael and Emma. "I see you two aren't doing anything to help," she said.

"We offered, but were turned down," Michael explained and scratched Pepper behind the ears. "Besides, someone had to watch the dog and make sure he didn't eat anything or wreck the decorations. It's a very important job."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and turned to Gabriel, who was arranging the silverware. "What have I said about treating your brother like a child?" She chided. "You know he could do more."

"Oh, of course he could," Gabriel nodded without looking up. "But he doesn't want to, and at least he's contributing somehow by watching the dog." He looked up. "Michael, do you think I should have given you a more strenuous task? Do you think I'm talking down to you?"

"Nope, I'm good thanks," Michael assured him and scratched Pepper behind the ears.

"See?" Gabriel pointed out to his mother. "No problems." He then watched as Pepper got out of Michael's lap and went to scratch at the door.

"We'll take him on a walk," Emma assured Steve, "Don't worry. Need us to pick up anything else while we're out?"

"No, thank you," Steve told her. "More of the cavalry has arrived. We should be fine."

They opened the door to leave and found themselves face to face with Gwen's daughter Rebecca, her husband Eli, son Luke, and her brothers Declan and King and their families.

"How in the world did everyone come at once?" Gwen questioned as they all stampeded in before Michael and Emma slipped out.

"We all did a caravan," Rebecca smiled and hugged her mother. "Oh, and we didn't know what to bring so we all brought dessert. I hope that's okay."

"It's fine," Gwen smiled, eyes on Charlotte now that the oven fire was out. "You can never have enough dessert." She then strode over to her and slammed the pie in her face. "Now that we have more than enough dessert, I don't think we'll be needing this," she said with a smile as Charlotte let out a shriek loud enough to break the windows.

"What are we gonna eat now that the turkey is a giant black thing?" Eli asked, peering inside the oven. "Can we fix it?"

"Not with magic," Gwen replied. "It's a rule now that all Thanksgiving stuff has to be done by hand. Leftover distaste for the pilgrims due to their hatred of witches."

"It's stupid rule," Rebecca huffed. "It used to be so much easier."

"I'd be willing to order us a couple of pizzas," Gwen's son King offered. "I know It's not standard holiday fare and it doesn't exactly mix well with everything else on the table, but it's better than nothing. What does everyone want?"

"You know you can pick anything and I'll eat it," Kai remarked. Victoria had come to pick him up from Lucifer's early in the morning. "So I don't really care."

"Well, the question was more directed at others besides you," King said. "But thank you for saying something."

"I would say...a cheese one, a meat one, and a veggie one," Declan suggested. "You're covering all the bases that way."

King looked at Gwen. "You think three larges would be enough, Mom?"

"For a start," Gwen nodded. "And we'll see where we go from there."

"Good," Steve said. "Now that that's taken care of, I have some recalcitrant granddaughters to get here."

"Good luck with that," Gwen told him.

"I don't need luck," Steve said and kissed Gwen's hand. "Don't forget who I am."

* * *

"I swear I've told all my kids and Lucifer to behave themselves," Ellie promised Steve when their bunch arrived, including a grumpy Valerie and Angelica who gave Steve a glare and a hiss the moment she stepped through the door. "There'll be no fighting today, even if it means no one says a word!"

"Oh, it's not the children I'm worried about," Steve told Ellie in a low voice. "My ex-wife invited herself here and seems to be intent on causing trouble with Gwen." He took Ellie's hand and led her to the edge of the kitchen where they heard Charlotte's voice carry over from the living room.

"Tell me Gwen dear," she said. "I have to ask, if it's not too personal, how are things between you and my ex? Are you two getting...close? I bet not. I bet you're just holding hands! And that kissing him is like kissing your father!"

"None of your business!" Gwen snapped. Then, just as Steve was about to step in and defend her, Gwen used her magic to zap over another pie, which was laden with whipped cream, and then, when she got a good grip on it, whammed it squarely in Charlotte's face, grinning at her shriek and the fact that filling and whipped cream also fell down the neckline of her dress, too.

"Why did you need to do that again?" Charlotte growled.

"Cause it's fun," Gwen replied. "You stop trying to pick fights with me and you won't get a face full of whipped cream. Not that hard of a concept to grasp."

"What's going on?" Valerie called. "Are we having a food fight? This might not be such a boring meal after all."

She then began picking up every bit of food she could off the neatly decorated table and began throwing it. The others were surprised at first but soon, everyone was in on it.

The noise quickly caught Ellie's attention and she came to the dining room just in time to yell "What the-" Before getting a face full of yams as Lucifer sauntered up behind her, laughter on his lips.

"Well, this is fun, isn't it Eleanor?" He asked.

But the grin was wiped off his face as Ellie turned, wiped yams out of her eyes, and glared at him, her eyes clearly dark and vein-y and her fangs bared. "No," she growled softly.

"No, no," Lucifer stepped back a little and cleared his throat. "I suppose it isn't. Not fun at all."

"We're gonna fix this," Ellie continued in a hiss, grabbing him by the lapels as her emotions and the magical side effects of pregnancy led to even more chaos including broken windows and electronics going on and off by themselves. "And if you _dare_ tell me 'I told you so'..."

"No, no, I promise," Lucifer swore as she got him backed up against the wall. "Come on, let's go find my father."

Then, she let him go, put her hands to her stomach and collapsed on the floor. "Eleanor!" He cried out. "Are you all right?"

"My stomach, it hurts!" Ellie got out. "Oh, my stomach!"

"Don't worry, it's just stress cramps," Steve said, appearing beside them because neither Angelica or Valerie, who were nearby, was in the mood to help, and were instead just chatting among themselves and pointedly ignoring their parents."She just needs to take a deep breath and calm down. I'll fix that."

Soon the skies darkened, there was a loud clap of thunder, and the house was plunged into darkness.

"Enough!" Steve cried, sounding even more intimidating since no one could see him. "Now, I am going to turn the lights back on, we're going to eat whatever food we have left, and we're all gonna try and be pleasant. Is that clear?" He waited until there was some nervous agreement, then he turned the lights back on, gave them a smile, and gestured at the now neat table which was covered by the pizzas and half-full bowls of sides. "Now, who's hungry? And didn't Lexie and Gabriel make a lovely table for us today?"

"Yes," Ellie replied as Lucifer pulled out a chair for her. "It's just beautiful."

"Thanks!" Lexie told her. "All the orange was my idea. And I went outside and collected everything while Michael put it all together. He has a better artistic eye than I do."

"Oh, thanks," Gabriel smiled and blushed as Michael and Emma and Lucifer all rolled their eyes. "You're so sweet!"

They delved into their pizza and it was after he finished his first piece that Lee finally said something about the fact that Charlotte kept staring at him. "What?" He asked.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "And who are you?"

"Mum, this is Lee, Lee that's my mother," Lucifer supplied.

"Lee's the bastard son of one of Dad's old girlfriends," Angelica told Charlotte. "Yet Dad still thinks that entitles him to be here anyway or be happy, even at my expense." She glared at Steve. "And he's not the only one. Grandpa here won't even fix Sammy after all I've done for Him, although He knows perfectly well that He can! Apparently, I don't deserve that. I just have to suffer even though I've done everything He's ever asked of me, and had faith in him when everyone else didn't!"

"Angelica, we talked about this," Steve told her. "I have my reasons."

"And they're all stupid!" Angelica huffed, arms crossed. "Just like this stupid dinner!"

"Wow, such bitterness," Charlotte got out, smiling a little. "I didn't think you were capable of it. Perhaps I misjudged you."

"Maybe you did," Valerie nodded. "It's shocking, isn't it?" She got out as she glared at her mother. "You think you know someone, you find out they've been lying to you, and it just...it changes everything,"

"Okay, that's enough of that," Vincent said, stuffing his sister's face with pizza after reaching over his daughter's head as she looked up at his chin. "Why don't we eat instead of talk, all right? Right now, Lily-Eleanor is behaving better than you."

"Don't you treat me like your toddler!" Valerie yelled.

"Well, then stop acting like one," Vincent returned.

Eventually, Steve turned his attention to one of the few people at the table who hadn't made a fuss at all and was just quietly minding his own business.

"Noah, what are you doing?" He questioned. Then he noticed that his grandson had his phone in his lap. "So nice that you have someone to talk to at Thanksgiving, isn't it?"

Noah then looked up, eyes wide. "Someone? What someone? I'm not talking to anyone!" He quickly shoved his phone in his pocket and reached for mashed potatoes. "See?"

"All right, I understand," Steve said, coming up behind him and speaking in a low whisper. "You're not ready to talk about Cassidy yet."

"No, I'm not...not to people!" Noah agreed. "So would you just...would you just keep it down for now?"

"If you want things to go well with her, you'll have to say something eventually," Steve remarked.

"Oh, I know that," Noah replied. "It's just not time." He shuddered. "You know, she invited me to eat with her and her friends, which surprised me. She seemed unsure about it though, like she was only offering cause she felt she should, so I turned her down. There'll be plenty of time for that later."

"Yes," Steve nodded. "There sure will."

After that, things continued more or less peacefully, although Gwen and Steve were both glad when the house was empty and quiet again. Well, _mostly_ empty and _mostly_ quiet. Charlotte refused to leave with everyone else.

"I just...I had a special goodbye to say," she told Steve. "And I didn't want to do it in front of everyone else. It was nice to see you again, Husband." She then kept her eyes on Gwen's face as she grabbed Steve and kissed him soundly. "Thought it wouldn't hurt to give you a kiss for old times' sake. I'm going now. Enjoy doing nothing but holding hands, you two."

"Oh, not yet!" Gwen cried, grabbing Charlotte and repeatedly slamming her head against the door before tossing the woozy woman out onto the front step and slamming the door on her. " _Now_ you can. Goodbye!"

"Well, that was unexpected," Steve remarked as she turned.

"I know it's not good or gracious or whatever, but...she just seems so intent on angering me and and I don't know why!" Gwen cried. "I'm usually so good about controlling my feelings!"

"Maybe _too_ good," Steve suggested. "I have to say, I'm a bit touched."

"You are?" Gwen asked in amazement. "I just...I didn't know where we were even going with all this because we haven't done much at all, you know, physically, and I know that's due to me, but I just...I don't like the thought of that woman kissing you!"

"And what does that mean?" Steve asked.

"You know what it means!" Gwen replied.

"I want you to say it," Steve told her. "Please."

"I want more!" Gwen burst out. "Maybe not all the way more, but...but I want us to be an 'us', you know? Not just two people who live in the same house and kiss sometimes and hold hands like your wife said."

"Really?" Steve asked. "Or is it just an emotional reaction to my wife?"

"Can't it be _both_?" Gwen cried. "I don't know!"

"I'll make space for your toothbrush," Steve told her and kissed her. "And space in my dresser and closet for your clothes. Now that we have an extra bedroom, we can have overnight guests!"

"Not for a long time after today," Gwen got out. "I think I've had all the guests I can stand for a while."

* * *

"No," Ellie groaned when, just as she was about to tuck herself in for bed, Lucifer told her that he had a surprise for her. "No more surprises, no more Thanksgiving, I just want it all to be over!"

"You'll like this one, I swear," Lucifer promised.

"Oh, all right," Ellie said. She got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and then let him put his hands over her eyes and lead her to the dining room, where the table was set with Thanksgiving food for two.

"Wow," she said. "You did this for me?"

"It'll be the peaceful meal you wanted," he told her.

They then sat down and began eating, but were only a few bites in when he felt Ellie's foot go up his leg,

"Eleanor, what are you doing?" He asked with a grin.

"I thought I was hungry, but apparently, it's in a different way..." she said, keeping her eyes on him as she got some whipped cream from the pie on her finger and slowly sucked it off as he watched, then grabbed her from across the table and kissed her soundly.

Usually, there was a conflict in Ellie's mind between food and sex, but this time, it didn't pop up. After zapping the pie over to the counter, the rest of it was zapped away so that the table was clear and after unzipping of pants and removal of panties, they began going at it on the table.

"Yes," Ellie panted. "Oh, yes!"

Then he slowed down a little, although he didn't pull out.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"I don't want you to have another attack of cramps like you did earlier," Lucifer replied. "Maybe we should stop this...or at least do it in bed. Are you comfortable?"

"Did it sound like I was complaining?" Ellie questioned.

"Good point," Lucifer nodded and continued thrusting until he had to grab her so she wouldn't fall off the table when she orgasmed. Then there was a knock at the door.

"Everyone okay in there?" Dexter asked. "Do you need things cleared away?"

"No, we're...we're still eating!" Ellie called as they tidied up in case he opened the door. "We'll let you know when we're done!"

"All right, just thought I'd check," Dexter told her. "Glad you're enjoying yourselves."

"We sure are," Lucifer called and then chuckled as Ellie sneaked under the table and began feeling him up. If he had to be thankful for something it was that he hadn't zipped up his fly yet.

"Oh, Eleanor, you naughty creature," he said. "Go down a little...down, down...there's the spot! I know you always complain that you don't have good piano fingers but those nimble digits of yours are definitely good at other things."

"Glad you think so," Ellie smiled a little later. "Now, do you want to finish that pie or what?"

"Yes," Lucifer nodded, zipping up and putting a hand on her belly before getting the pie from the counter. "How big a piece do you want?"

"A big one," Ellie smiled. "I'm ravenous for some reason!"

He ended up cutting the pie in half between the two of them and after slathering their halves in whipped cream, they went for their forks.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Eleanor," Lucifer told Ellie. "I have to say, I'm very thankful for you. For when I wake up every morning and you're still here. Sometimes, I honestly wonder why after how badly I screwed up. You don't even have nightmares from it or anything."

"I've never been scared of you," Ellie told him. "And what happened that led to the twins...I was always more mad about it than scared. And I know you have your issues and that's part of why you did what you did. You don't handle being left behind well and you didn't like the idea of me being yet another person to abandon you. But you've learned and I'm so proud of you for that. I've left other times, but you know now that I'm always gonna come back. Cause I love you very much. Warts and all. And I'm thankful for you too."

"Oh, and why is that?" Lucifer wanted to know. "What could possibly make you be thankful for me...besides, you know, the things that everyone wants me for: sex, favors...nothing too deep cause I'm not good for that."

"You are!" Ellie protested. "You think Angelica would care so much about being replaced by Lee in your affections if you were just capable of having sex with people and that's it? You really connected with her. You gave a damn when she was in trouble! You are capable of great love and we all know it. And I like that I get it from you no matter what i do. I could make you cookies and have your baby or...get high on pot brownies and rob a bank and either way, you'd love me just the same. That's good. That's what I'm grateful for. You do that for me. You do that for all of us."

He blushed. "Oh, well, I guess I _am_ learning."

"You are," Ellie repeated as he held her gently, ran his fingers through her hair, and then after shutting the lights off, pulling the covers over both of them as they whispered 'Goodnight' in the darkness.


	54. You Think This Song Is About You

"So that was some dinner, huh?" Vincent asked as he and Lauren and Lisa and Lee sat around Lee and Lisa's bedroom and talked about Thanksgiving.

"Are they always like that?" Lee wanted to know.

"No, usually my sisters are a lot more pleasant," Vincent replied. "The attitude is highly abnormal for both of them, especially Angelica. Sorry she was so rude to you."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize for her," Lee shrugged. "I know I'm a bit of an intruder."

"No, you're not!" Lisa said. "Lucifer invited us to come so you had as much right to be where you were as Angelica did." It hadn't escaped her notice how Angelica's words had hurt her husband, even if he was doing his best to act like they didn't. "You don't have to pretend. If you're not okay, you can say something."

"I just...I don't like her attitude!" Lee exclaimed. "I never did anything to her! So I don't know why she's being so mean!"

"Well, for one thing she's got an ego that's huge just like my father," Vincent told him. "She's wonderful as long as she doesn't see you as a threat to how she looks at herself or the relationships she holds dear. She loves the fact that she and Dad are closer than the rest of us and probably thinks that since Dad's looking out for you, that means he loves her less, and for an extremely competitive person who has to have the most and be the best, that's a tough pill to swallow."

"It's just Angelica being Angelica," Lauren tried to comfort him. "I know that's not a lot of help, especially if you're the target of one of her tantrums, but you get used to it."

"Really?" Lee asked. "Do you think she'll ever like me?"

"Maybe not, but there'll probably be other things that will take your place in her mind so she'll at least ignore you," Lauren got out.

"Did she ever hate you?" Lee questioned.

"No, I...I had it pretty easy when I came here," Lauren admitted. "I mean, Lucifer was against Vincent and I having a real relationship at first cause I was human and all, and he wanted me to just be a fling, but then Vincent and I got married and had Nicky and Lily-Eleanor and I think he got used to the idea of me being around at least."

"He likes you now," Vincent assured her. "Don't worry."

They were then interrupted by a cry from Lily-Eleanor.

"I'll get her, don't worry," Vincent proclaimed and stood up. "Be back in a jiffy."

And he was, carrying the little girl with him. She'd just woken up from her nap and had a serious case of bedhead.

"Hold onto her would you?" Vincent asked Lee and stuck the little girl in his lap. "Thanks! If I don't brush out her hair, it's going to just drive me nuts!"

He came back a few minutes later and the rest of them watched in amazement as the normally squirmy little girl remained still in Lee's lap while her father gently worked the brush through her hair and then stuck a bow in it.

"There you go," Vincent smiled with satisfaction. "Now you look even prettier!"

Lily-Eleanor giggled at the compliment and reached for her father, sitting nicely in his lap for the rest of the time Lee and Lisa visited and was still there when they got up to leave, sending them off with a wave and a cheerful "Bye-bye!"

"What a nice girl that Lily-Eleanor!" Lee remarked as they made their way back to their rooms in another part of the house. "When we have a baby, I hope it's a girl just like her."

"Oh, you want to have kids?" Lisa asked in surprise. "With me?"

"Of course with you!" Lee said. "You're my wife. Who else would I have them with?"

"Yeah," Lisa nodded. "Right...It's good to plan for what's gonna happen in a few years. Didn't think you were capable of that much foresight."

"A few years?" Lee asked in amazement. "Why would you want to wait that long? I was thinking as soon as possible!"

"As soon as poss..." Lisa's jaw dropped and she sat heavily on the bed. "No, that's not happening any time soon. Why do you need to do it so quickly?"

"Well, you heard what Vincent and Lauren said," Lee told her. "Once they got married and had kids, Lauren was more fully accepted in the family. Don't you want that for me?"

"Well, of course I do!" Lisa nodded. "But you do realize that when it comes to having kids, I'm gonna be the one doing most of the heavy lifting right? And I'm just now getting used to us being married since it happened so fast! I need time to adjust to one major life change before I take on another. And it's gonna be a big change! Having a demon/witch/vampire baby is a lot different than just having a witch one."

"So you think that because you don't want one yet, I have no say," Lee got out.

"Well, once you are able to get pregnant and have a kid then sure, you can make the final decision," Lisa told him resolutely. "But until that happens, I think my feelings should take precedence. And it's not like there can't be other ways to ingratiate yourself. I'll help you find them. Is that fair?"

"Fine," Lee huffed. He'd never not gotten his way before. It was irritating to say the least. "If we must."

"We must," Lisa assured him. "No way around it."

* * *

Angelica was taking a food break after one of her appointments (this one for a child's birthday party) and was chewing on a bit of roast beef sandwich when her phone rang. When she saw it was Sammy, she groaned like usual and even thought of handing the call over to Valerie, who, aside from manning the schedule and handling difficult, drunk relatives (this was especially useful at weddings) also took charge of problematic phone calls and the occasional customer who refused to pay. And in return, all she asked for was her pick of leftovers from the workroom fridge, which Angelica thought was not too much to ask.

"Don't hang up or give me to your sister," Sammy said. "It won't do you any good."

"Oh, fine, what do you want now?" Angelica huffed. "I moved out! I'm done with you!"

"I'm sure you're not," Sammy purred. "I know you miss me...and all the things we used to do at night. I know you liked wearing all that leather and having your way with me. I saw the ecstasy on your face and you can't hide that."

"Whenever I'm tempted," Angelica got out, trying not to think of what he was talking about in too much detail cause that would undermine her whole stance) "I just remind myself how horrible you are and how I never want to be associated with you ever again! You can go to Hell for all I care! In fact, I can probably arrange a well-deserved spot for you!"

This made his voice change, from good-humored and teasing to vicious and sharp. "Fine, you bitch!" He spat. "You know I could have anyone I want. Anyone! I'm not gonna waste my time with some frigid uptight prude when I can have any woman anywhere with a snap of my fingers! I'm a musician, you know. And ladies _love_ musicians. Goodbye! Forever!"

He hung up, and though Angelica should have been relieved, she felt tears fall from her eyes. Since the break up declaration had come from Sammy, it was really over. And even though he wasn't the man she loved anymore, that still _really_ stung. She began to cry in earnest, her tears falling onto the napkin in her lap. She stood up, blew her nose on it, then went to hand the rest of her lunch to her sister cause she wasn't hungry anymore."

"Wow are you okay?" Valerie questioned and put her arms around her. "I don't have to take anyone down, do I? Cause you know I will."

"It's...it's Sammy!" Angelica sobbed. "He broke up with me and he says he wants to sleep with other girls!"

"Damn, I'm sorry!" Valerie replied. "But look...it's almost happy hour at the club. We can go and get trashed and find you someone to go home with!"

"Thanks, but that...that's not gonna work for me," Angelica sighed as Valerie handed her a tissue.

"Well, okay...what about thinking how Sammy just might die because of this?" Valerie asked. "Would that cheer you up?"

"How would he die?" Angelica wanted to know.

"Well, Grandpa set you two up, remember?" Valerie gave her the unnecessary reminder. "And like, he punished you for not dating Sammy, maybe he'll punish Sammy for being a jerk and not dating _you_."

"He made my dates have heart attacks," Angelica reminded her. "He never did anything to _me_." She paused. "Well, except for the amnesia. That wasn't fun." She paused. "Well, you know, maybe you're right. Maybe I should go apologize to Grandpa, and if I do, he'll enact some terrible vengeance against Sammy for going against his wishes!" She looked at her watch. "Oh, and I'm just in time for dancercize at the gym too. Mom and Grandma Sarah have been wanting me to come forever. They think it'll help lighten me up."

"I don't know how well it'll work, but good luck," Valerie told her. "I'll hold down the fort while you're gone, don't worry."

"I know you will," Angelica nodded. "Thanks!"

* * *

But much to her frustration, the apology didn't work.

"It's nice to see that you're finally understanding that I know best," Steve told her. "And I'm so sorry you and Sammy have parted ways, but it won't be forever."

"Now that I've apologized, will you do something horrible to him cause he's not doing what you want by loving me?" Angelica asked. "You know, like when you gave me amnesia cause I wouldn't date him and gave all my other dates heart attacks?"

"No," Steve shook his head. "You're gonna have to wait this one out."

"Why?" Angelica whined. "I apologized and everything!"

"But you only did that so I would help you and that's not good," Steve told her. "Now go to your dancercize. It'll be good for you."

"Fine," Angelica narrowed her eyes and stomped to the door. "Goodbye!"

"Goodbye!" Steve called cheerfully. "Thanks for coming over! It was nice to see you!"

"what a smug, judge-y, know it all," Angelica muttered. "'look at me, I'm God! I can take the high road about everything cause I'm _so_ perfect!" She growled and kicked the front door before walking the rest of the way to her car and driving to the gym, hoping that it would, in fact, do something to quell this rage that was gathering inside her.

* * *

"I hope you're here for dancercize," Her uncle Patrick's wife Addison remarked as she strode through the door. "You really look like you could use it and your mom and grandma are just about to start."

"Good!" Angelica smiled. "Thanks Addie! Good to know I'm not late. Where do they hold it again?"

"Just down the hall and to the left there," Addie pointed after pushing some of her dark hair out of her eyes. "Oh, and they got strawberry for the smoothie machine if you're interested."

"Yes!" Angelica nodded. "Finally, I've been waiting for that." She then made her way to the room Addie had indicated, paused outside the closed door to zap herself out of her work clothes and into something that allowed a bit more movement, then opened the door and came face to face with her mother and grandmother, who were in downward facing dog on side by side yoga mats.

"Am I early for dancercize?" She questioned. "Where's the rest of the class?"

"For this particular time spot, this _is_ the whole class," Sarah told her. "It's something your mother and I do to keep ourselves at ease and we thought you might find it useful too."

"Now I do especially," Angelica sighed, getting down on the mat and trying to do what they were doing, although she knew she wasn't as flexible. "Sammy and I are officially broken up."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry!" Ellie cried and hugged her. "I...when did it happen?"

"Not too long ago," Angelica sighed. "An hour or so, in fact. He called and wanted me to come back and when I told him there was no chance in hell, he just...he ended it and said he would try to go for girls who were easier. And that I was frigid and unlovable."

"You are not!" Ellie said. "I don't think it's wrong for you to not want to be with someone who makes you feel ill at ease. He was out of line!"

"I agree," Sarah nodded. "Sorry you had to go through that. But there are better men out there for you!"

"No there aren't!" Angelica cried. "That's the annoying thing. When he's in his right mind, there's no more perfect guy for me. I wish I could just move on from this, but I can't. Grandpa won't even help. He says I just have to ride it out. Which is not fair considering all he put _me_ through when I wouldn't date Sammy, but there you go."

"Let's put the music on," Sarah suggested. "That'll make us all feel better."

"How do we do this?" Angelica wanted to know. "Any specific moves I should be aware of?"

"No, just listen to the music," Sarah told her and blasted "Walking On Sunshine" as she and Ellie began to dance. "Your body will know what to do."

Angelica didn't move right away because she felt self-conscious. but after a couple of songs, she just shrugged off her nervousness and began to dance, even though she knew it wasn't the most graceful display. Her grandma was right. It felt good. Real good.

"You feeling better, sweetie?" Ellie asked when they paused for a smoothie and water run.

"Yeah," Angelica grinned. "Not completely, but it's definitely a start."

"Good," Ellie smiled and hugged her. "Now, you wanna come with me? I hear they have strawberry in the smoothie machine."

"I'll get it," Sarah said and grabbed a beverage carrier with enough space for three smoothies and three waters. "You two stay here and talk. I won't be gone long, I promise. Three strawberry smoothies and three waters?"

"Yes please," Ellie and Angelica said in unison and watched Sarah go out the door, shutting it gently behind her.

* * *

After work, in an attempt to keep her mind off Sammy and his stupidness, Angelica and Valerie headed to the Underground for drinks and dancing. The first thing they saw when they stepped through the door was Sammy making out with another girl on one of the sofas.

"Don't look," Valerie told her and gripped her arm as Angelica strained against it and gnashed her teeth. "He's trying to get a rise out of you, it's what he wants."

"Just let me go," Angelica whispered. "I won't do anything dumb, I promise. I don't even care. He's completely different now. I won't hurt him or make a scene."

"Yeah, I doubt that," Valerie told her and marched her over to the bar.

"You got any idea what's going on over there?" She asked Roxie.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it," Roxie replied. "He's just doing it to spite Angelica. She's the...tenth one today, I think."

" _Ten_?" Angelica howled. "That bastard!" She broke free of her sister's grip, strode over to the couch where Sammy and his friend were making out, and cried, "Nice to see you're moving on. I really don't care!" She then stomped away, pausing only when she heard Sammy's voice.

"Not even as much as a 'Hello' for me?" He asked, coming up behind her and pulling her close against him backward. "Is that really how you talk to an old friend?"

"Oh, go to hell," Angie squirmed. But he only held her tighter.

"Not much of a punishment now that I know you're down there too in a tight leather outfit," he whispered and nibbled on her earlobe as his hands moved down to cup her bottom. "Seems wonderful as a matter of fact. Just like all those fun nights we spent together. I know you remember those, even though you acted like you didn't on the phone." He then turned her around and kissed her soundly, getting her knee in his crotch when she felt him try and slip his tongue down her throat.

"Don't you dare!" She told him. "You wanna stick your tongue down somebody's throat, you have a friend over on the sofa who's more eager and willing than me." She then went to the bar, ordered a vodka and cranberry and spent the night going between the bar and the dance floor while pointedly ignoring Sammy and his attempts to piss her off.

* * *

As the days passed, Angelica was relieved that Sammy was angry enough that he didn't try to contact her in any way. They'd made a clean break. That was good. It meant that she wouldn't have to think about him anymore.

But then, she heard a song floating through her open office door from the front desk and as she listened, she realized with shock that the person singing was Sammy! She got up from her desk and headed out to the reception desk where Valerie sat with her tiny radio next to the phone, dancing in her seat and singing along.

"What's that?" Angelica asked. "That song?"

Valerie started violently at the sound of her voice, knocked the radio over, and scrambled to turn it off before staring up at her sister. "What song?" She asked. "I didn't hear any song."

"Yes you did! The one Sammy was singing! It was just on the radio!" Angelica cried. "And it doesn't sound like 'Beautiful Girl'."

"It's not...kind of the opposite." Valerie sighed. "He hates you now, and is expressing it through song."

"And you were chair dancing to it, you traitor!" Angelica huffed.

"I can't help it!" Valerie defended herself. "It's very catchy!"

"Yeah, but it's also really mean!" Angelica replied.

"I would try and comfort you by saying it has nothing to do with you but it clearly does!" Valerie continued. "Damn, you must've really pissed him off. He's singing about how he wants you to rot and die!"

"I just...I had every right not to be with him!" Angelica got out. "What's the number for Dad's lawyer? I'm gonna sue Sammy's ass off!"

"How should I know what Dad's lawyer's number is?" Valerie questioned. "Go ask _him_!"

"Fine, I will!" Angelica replied and zapped herself to her parents' office.

"Dad busy?" She asked her mother.

"No, I think he's free," Ellie told her. "Are you okay?"

"No," Angelica said between her teeth. "I'm not! Thanks for your help, Mom!"

She strode into her father's office, sat down opposite him, and said, "What's your lawyer's number? Apparently, Sammy's written a very catchy but unflattering song about me and I want him destroyed!"

"Don't you think that's a bit rash?" Lucifer asked. "I mean, wouldn't it be more satisfying to let it all roll off your back and make him believe none of it is affecting you? You getting angry is what he wants. Don't give him the satisfaction. Besides, we all have songs written about us that we don't like. I mean, look at me and 'The Devil Went Down To Georgia'. You think I like hearing that absurd song about my getting beaten by some hick every Halloween? Of course he damn well won. They had me playing the wrong instrument!" His face changed for just a moment before he took a deep breath returned to human, and gave his daughter a sheepish look. "But anyway...I just...I just let it roll off my back and I suggest you do the same. It'll be less of a headache for everyone that way. Just ride it out."

"Oh, that's what Grandpa said too!" Angelica huffed. "Why can't anyone support my desire for vengeance? I expected better from you. Or for you to let me do the immature thing."

"Well, as your parent, sometimes I can't," Lucifer told her. "I prefer to leave all that parental nonsense to your mother, but this time...I'm saying what she would say because I really think you'll be better for it."

"Fine," Angelica huffed and stole a handful of his gummy candy before turning her back on him. "Whatever, thanks for nothing."


	55. All Part Of The Dance

**Note: there are flashbacks of relationship abuse that might be seen as triggering to some in this chapter.**

After Thanksgiving, Noah didn't hear from Cassidy for several days, and he had no idea why. Was it because she was mad at him for turning down her dinner invitation?

That thought in mind, he called her, but got her voicemail. "Hi, Cassidy, it's Noah. Message received loud and clear: I shouldn't have turned down your invitation to have dinner. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. But you know we can always go out. You can wear that tight little green number that shows off your ass and I...I'll wear something nice that won't be too hard for you to take off after. Deal?"

He then waited for her to call him back, but she didn't. So he called again. And again. And again. Until finally, one day, he got an answer.

"What is wrong with you!" She cried. "Why do you keep calling me? Some people would take silence as a hint!"

"Well, I take it as a challenge," Noah shot back. "You should know that by now. So...when do you want to go to dinner?"

"How about the twelfth of never?" Cassidy suggested. "See you then."

"Now wait just a minute!" Noah cried. "Are you turning me down? You can't turn me down! We had an agreement of an exchange of sex for money and now I want sex!"

"Gee, how could a girl turn down such a romantic overture?" Cassidy drawled. "Your mother must be so proud that she raised such a gentleman. But my answer is still 'No'. Bye now!"

She hung up and Noah stared at his phone in disbelief for a few seconds before growling in frustration and punching in Cassidy's number again.

"What now?" She asked. "I'm only gonna talk to you if you're gonna be gentlemanly. Otherwise, I'm hanging up!"

"If you were so determined not to talk to me, you wouldn't have answered the phone this time, would you?" He pointed out. "And you know what? It gets me so hot when you fight with me like this. Do it some more!"

"No, you weirdo!" Cassidy cried. "How did you get to be such a freak?"

"What are you wearing?" Noah asked. "Please describe it to me in detail. Is it tight? What sort of underwear are you wearing? Is it a thong? I hope it's a thong. If not, I'll buy you a little lacy black one!"

"Oh, my gosh, will you stop babbling!" Cassidy cried, cutting off his visions of her laid out on his bed in nothing but a tiny black lace thong. "Why did you call? What's the point? Spit it out cause I have things to do and people to see."

"I already told you," Noah replied through gritted teeth. "I want to see you _now!"_

"Well, I can't now, Your Highness," Cassidy replied. "But if you set out some time for next week, I would be more than happy to clear my schedule for it."

"It's a shame you're so stubborn," he told her. "It could cost you. I could just end our agreement now. And you don't want that. I know you need the money."

"Oh, you ass!" Cassidy cried. "I know I'm hard up, but I don't need you. I could get money other ways if I wanted to!"

"But the question is, why would you when my way is so much easier?" Noah questioned. Then he sighed. "Oh, believe me, Cassidy. I can't stop thinking of you and that round, perfect ass of yours. Running my hands over it as I take you from behind, giving it a good bite as you're laid out in my bed..."

"Oh, kiss my ass!" Cassidy cried in frustration.

"That's what I want!" Noah cried. "That's what I've been saying this whole time! So when should I see you? Tonight? Come hungry and I'll even make dinner. I don't care when, but don't make me wait too long!"

He then heard the sound of a raspberry being blown into the phone and then nothing as Cassidy hung up. "She'll come," he told himself. "She just likes to keep me in suspense. It's part of the dance." Then he went out to check on things at the club. In case Cassidy decided to make him wait, he had to have another way to keep his mind occupied, or else he would go crazy.

* * *

"You know, that's your fifth drink," Roxie remarked the next day as she watched him while she wiped out glasses, her big blue eyes full of concern. "And it's not even noon. Something bothering you, Noah? Did Cassidy give you the slip again? It surprises me that the way you're dealing with it is to sit around and drink. I thought you were a man of action!"

"I am!" Noah responded, slamming the glass down and making it crack. "Not that it's any of your business. In fact, you and your nosiness can go to Hell. I was just out to look for Cassidy right now. I only needed a little courage first."

"And I'm sure she'll really like smelling all the alcohol on your breath when you finally catch up with her," Roxie and went to put his glasses in the sink.

"She's not going to," Noah replied and stuck a mint in his mouth. "There. I might not be back so don't wait for me. Anything bad happens, don't call. Deal with it by any means necessary. You have my permission."

"Oh, you think I need you around to run this place?" Roxie chuckled. "You're so funny!"

Noah narrowed his eyes at her and strode out, getting in his car and driving around his usual haunts before it hit him that Cassidy was poor and would not likely be hanging around the neighborhood artisan cheese shop. So he steeled his courage and drove to the most run down area he knew of. And there, he saw Cassidy, limping out of an alley, casting a hunted look around, and taking a few steps. He drove slowly behind her. His engine was so finely tuned that he doubted she could hear it. Or she could and was just ignoring him. That was possible too.

Then she came upon a group of boys in khakis and chinos (the uniform of the local prep school), who had in their grips a much scrawnier, smaller boy with red hair. They were pounding on him. Noah watched Cassidy approach the group, her eyes full of fire and rage. It was quite arousing.

He sat and watched for a little bit, but as she balled up her fist to swing at the boys, that's when Noah opened his door and yelled, "Don't!"

Cassidy didn't even turn as she felt Noah behind her. "Go home!" She cried. "This isn't any of your business! How did you even find me? Are following me now?"

"And it's good I did!" Noah defended himself. "I'm stopping you from doing something very stupid!"

"Is this because of my knee?" Cassidy cried. "I'll have you know that just because I have a hurt knee, that doesn't mean I can't fight! I don't need you in my personal business and I don't need you to protect me so just...go away!"

"Yeah, pretty boy!" One of the bullies said. The group then followed his lead and turned their attention to Noah, leaving the boy to run back to Cassidy.

"Sorry I caused so much trouble," he was heard to say. "I heard Mom and Dad talking about money and I only wanted to help!"

"It's okay," Cassidy replied, putting her arms around the redheaded boy. "So you're not the world's best pickpocket yet. You'll learn, Willie. You're just a little boy!"

"I'll handled these jackasses," Noah told them. "You two go to my car and stay there. Am I clear?"

"What are you, stupid?" Cassidy cried. "It's five against one!"

"I can handle it," he assured her and blasted the boys away with a burst of magic, making them all hit the hard ground several feet away. "See? Now go!"

"I think we should listen to him," the boy told Cassidy and began pulling her to the car. They locked themselves in until Noah came back, got in, and pulled out of the alley.

"Now that I got you out of that mess, where should I drop you off?" He asked. "Somewhere safe, I hope. Why don't I just take you to my place?"

"No," Cassidy said firmly. "I'll tell you where to go."

Of course she didn't tell him the truth about where she and Willie lived. She couldn't do that. Not yet. So she told him to park next to a run down old farmhouse about a mile from the encampment.

"Here?" He asked. "I don't like this. It's no better than where you were before! It doesn't even seem safe!"

"Just unlock the car," Cassidy commanded. "I promise this is where he lives. We'll be safe here."

"Fine," Noah sighed. "I bet you're probably lying to me, but as I don't seem to be able to talk any sense into you, I'll let you out here. And you better come by the club tonight."

"And what if I don't?" Cassidy shot back. "What will you do to me then?"

"Well, I won't do anything to you," Noah said, noting the boy's wide-eyed look. "But you'll miss out on a lot, that's for sure."

"I'll think about it," she told him with a sigh and ushered Willie out of the car. "Th-thanks for your help. Didn't need it, but thank you anyway."

They left he watched them continue to walk who knew where, only heading back to the club when they were no longer in sight so that he could prepare to receive her that evening.

* * *

"Wow, you came," Noah said, sucking in his breath when he opened the door and saw Cassidy. She was dressed in a sweatshirt, torn jeans, and sneakers. She obviously didn't come with the intention of being sexy.

"I just...don't ask me to explain _why_ I'm here," Cassidy said. "Let's get this over with now."

"Okay," Noah nodded and put his hand over her mouth. "Not really in the mood to talk anyway. He quickly gagged her, undressed her, and tied her to the bed on her belly. He began giving her spankings, not hard enough to truly hurt, but hard enough for her to know she was in trouble.

"You think that hurt?" Cassidy said through the gag. "Hit me harder!"

"I don't know what you said, but I suddenly want to hit you harder," he told her. "Do you know why I'm doing this? You've been a bad girl!"

"You've been bad too!" Cassidy told him. "You better let me have my turn! Unless you're too delicate to handle the pain that is!"

"No!" He told her and pulled her hair. "I didn't do anything wrong so why should you get to punish me? You did wrong! You're the bad one! It's all your fault that I'm mad like this!"

" _It's all your fault...it's all your fault..."_ as pain shot through her body, Cassidy shut her eyes against the onslaught of flashbacks that began assaulting her. The night that Rob had burned her and left the scar on her face. She'd been late with dinner and when he'd come in, she'd been so scared that she'd spilled it all over the floor.

 _"Don't hurt me, please!" She'd begged. "I'll make more! You just have to wait a little longer!"_

 _That's when he'd gone for her face. "I've waited long enough," he hissed. "How many times have I made it clear to you that dinner is to be ready by the time I walk through that door and making it late will not be tolerated!"_

 _He then gave her the scar that still lingered to this day, slapped her, knocked her to the floor, and kicked her until she was nearly unconscious. Later, when he'd found her trying to call for help, that was when he'd taken the hammer to her knee cap. It had not been a good night._

Her hand went to her face, gently stroking her scar. It was too much. She began to sob in earnest. "Stop!" She cried. "Stop, I'll be good! Just don't hurt me anymore!"

This made Noah freeze. He'd completely forgotten about her boyfriend and the abuse she suffered. He'd come to think of the limp and the scar as something uniquely her, forgetting how it had come about, and how terrible that must've been for her. And now...now he was making her relive it all over again.

"I'm sorry," he told her, stopping immediately and turning her onto her back so that he could look into her eyes. "I'm done. I'm sorry. I was just having a little fun. I...I forgot about what you've been through." He went and got her some tissues, then climbed in bed and hugged her close until her shaking and sobbing subsided.

"Thank you," she sniffled. "Thank you very much. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, though."

"I truly didn't," he said firmly. "I would never. But if I ever go too far, just tell me like you did today and I'll stop, all right?"

Cassidy nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thank you," she said. "That...that really makes me feel safe."

"Good," Noah told her. "I want you to feel safe. Do you just...want to go straight to dinner and skip all the bed stuff, or..."

"No," Cassidy shook her head. "I'm fine. Just be gentle."

"I can do that," he told her, kissing her gently and lowering her back onto the mattress, gently caressing her body with his fingers, rubbing her, and fingering her. "Good?" He asked.

"Oh, yes," Cassidy smiled, eyes closed. "Much better."

"Good," he smiled and began to slowly taste her.

"Damn," she said. "Damn, good!"

It was while this was going on that the door opened.

"Oh, sorry!" Roxie replied. "Didn't know I was interrupting, but I should have figured."

"Well, what do you want?" Noah asked. "Now that you've interrupted, you might as well say what you came to say! Otherwise, get the fuck out!"

"It's just...there are two Jessicas and a Jennifer here to see you," Roxie told him, politely averting her eyes. "What should I tell them? And there's no need to yell. Calm down!" She finally looked up and waved at Cassidy. "Hi," she said.

"Hello, Roxie," Cassidy responded, blushing scarlet in Noah's arms and trying to get out of his grip. "I see I'm interrupting so I'll just go. It's been fun though."

"Oh, no, you stay in my bed!" Noah commanded. "It'll just take me a few seconds to take care of this."

"Isn't he such a gentleman?" Roxie grinned.

"I told you to get out!" Noah reminded her.

"No, you asked me what I was doing here and I answered you," Roxie reminded him. She then sat down on the bed. "This guy treating you all right, Cassidy?"

"He has his moments," Cassidy conceded.

"Does he?" Roxie asked. "Tell me about them, please! I'm very interested."

"None of your business!" Noah cried. "What is with you always wanting to stick your nose in my business?"

"I grew up in a very sexually open household," Roxie reminded him. "I'm used to knowing all that." She paused as they sat in silence for a bit. "So...what do you want me to tell the Jessicas and Jennifer? It looks like one of them has bigger boobs now."

"Doesn't matter," Noah said immediately. "Please give them my most humble regrets, these-" He zapped up three bouquets of red roses, "and say that I won't be available for a very long time. If ever."

"Wow," Roxie remarked, winking at Cassidy, rising slowly from the bed, and taking the flowers in her arms. "You got him good, Cassidy!"

"Oh, just go already!" Noah cried, rubbing his temples. "Please?"

"Since you said 'Please'," Roxie nodded and left, shutting the door gently behind her.

"You didn't have to do that," Cassidy told him. "I know you're busy and all and I don't want to interrupt that. I don't want to be responsible for ruining your image. Seriously, it would be no trouble for me to leave now so you can go party with the Jessicas."

"I don't _want_ to party with the Jessicas!" He told her. "I haven't in a long time. That's probably why the one got the boob job: a sad bid to get my attention."

"Oh, it's not that sad," Cassidy said. "It probably would work."

Noah sighed. It was too early for him to have to admit this. Damn Roxie for putting him in the position where he had to. He looked Cassidy in the eye. "No, it wouldn't have," he said, pulling her close and kissing her hair and then her cheek. "Cause...cause since you and I...since we've been together. I've not slept with anyone else. Just you. It doesn't matter how big their boobs are...I feel nothing, except for when I'm with you."

She smiled a little. "Really? You're not just messing with me?"

"Come on," Noah told her. "You know me. At least well enough to know that I wouldn't admit something like this if it wasn't true."

Cassidy ruffled his hair. "You have a point," she admitted, then leaned forward and kissed him soundly as he entered her and she held him tight against her body. Then, when they were both panting from exhaustion, she reached over and said, "You said something about dinner, right? You're gonna feed me? I think I need it now."

"Me too," Noah agreed, getting out of bed and quickly dressing. "How do you feel about surf and turf?"

Cassidy shrugged. "Heard about it, never had it," she admitted. "But I always thought it would be good."

After they were both dressed, the food was brought in.

"So...that place where I dropped you and the boy off...that's not where you really live, is it?"

Cassidy sighed. He was fishing for information about the community again. And she knew he wouldn't let go until she told him _something._ "You'll probably think this is dumb," she said as she dug into her steak. "I...I do a lot of volunteer work in a poor community and I live there too so it makes for an easy commute. That little boy is one of the people I help."

"That's nice," Noah told her. "What made you want to do it?"

"I just like giving, that's all," Cassidy shrugged. She then turned to her lobster. "This is really good," she told him, swiftly changing the subject. "Thanks for getting it set up for us."

"You're welcome," Noah smiled. "Glad you like it. And thanks for coming tonight. I didn't think you would."

"Oh, but I'm full of surprises," Cassidy reminded him. "I gotta keep you on your toes."

"And you do," Noah grinned and then leaned across the table to kiss her. "Why do you think I like you so much?" There he went again. But he'd already told her once. No use hiding anymore.


	56. Secrets Out In The Open

"Oh, my gosh!" An exhausted Angelica stumbled into the office one morning and sat down heavily at her desk, her hair and gray Chanel suit very rumpled, and her suit even torn, and she also wore one red Prada pump and carried the other, which had a broken heel. "We have to get the Dragon out of Sammy. It's getting to be too much. I can't handle it anymore."

"Yeah," Valerie nodded and handed her a coffee that said 'decaf' on the cup. "You really don't seem like the type for rough sex and that's probably all you're getting, right? It makes you look like hell, too. How did you leave the house like that?"

"How dare you!" Angelica burst out. Then her eyes widened. "I mean, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, honey," Valerie look at her sister with pity. "You don't think I know you've been sneaking out to see him? You don't even do a good job of hiding it. We just pretend like we see nothing for your sake. I hope you and he are using condoms. Do we need to go out and buy some? Cause I _cannot_ imagine you being pregnant and some poor kid's mother."

"No, we're fine with that, and keep your voice down!" Angelica cried in an agitated whisper. "Don't shout it to everyone!"

"Am I interrupting?" Junior questioned. He'd come to have a talk about his and Sarah's secret Christmas wedding.

"No, we were just talking about nothing," Angelica told him. "Now, did you say you wanted fake snow if there wasn't any falling on the day of the wedding? I mean, I could always ask Grandpa to do a little bit of something to get the real stuff if there's nothing, but..."

"Dad says Grandpa's not inclined to mess with the weather," Valerie reminded her sister.

"Well, he'll make an exception when I tell him what it's for," Angelica remarked confidently. "He owes me!" She looked at Junior. "And speaking of problems other Grandpa won't fix, I know you got the Dragon out of me once. Could you do it again for Sammy? I don't know why I didn't think of asking you before."

"I can try," Junior nodded. "It will be difficult and even when she's out of him, there could be after effects. He probably won't be exactly as he was before his encounter with her. Are you prepared for that?"

"Yes," Angie nodded. "I just want him better, that's all. Thanks, Grandpa!"

"You're welcome," Junior replied. Then he kept staring at her until Angie frowned and asked, "What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?"

"Oh, no," Junior shook his head. "You just...you're really glowing, that's all."

"G...glowing?" Angie got out. "Please don't say I'm glowing! I know what that's code for!"

"So you _haven't_ been using condoms!" Valerie shouted. "Ah-ha!"

Angelica sighed. "Well, we used them but you never know when one could tear or fall off or whatever. I've been kinda tired and things have hurt. Everything has been hurting!"

"Have you been ravenous?" Junior questioned. "Moody? Sensitive to smells? Bloated?"

Angelica stepped out from behind the desk and they noticed that her suit was buttoned askew. "Yeah, it's...it's not fitting as well as it usually does."

"And yes to all the other stuff too," Valerie added.

Junior then caught her as she fell forward and threw up all over his jacket.

"Oh, that was disgusting," Valerie winced.

"Sorry," Angelica apologized as Junior zapped himself clean.

"It's fine," Junior told her. "In the span of a normal day, I usually get that from at least a few people. I'm used to it. What time do you get off? I'll schedule you an appointment at the hospital so you can know for sure."

"Actually," Valerie remarked as she looked over the schedule, "her next appointment isn't for a couple of hours."

"Could I go now?" Angie asked. "We could talk more about the wedding on the way."

"Sounds great," Junior nodded. "Let's go."

"And be sure to put a towel on her seat so that she doesn't ruin your upholstery if she pukes again!" Valerie called after him.

* * *

They got to the hospital and Junior pulled some strings to get Angelica in right away. after peeing in the cup, she waited, rocking back and forth and trying to catch a breath.

"It's gonna be okay, whatever the result is," Junior told her.

"Oh, I think I already know what the result is," Angelica told him. "I wouldn't feel this horrible if I wasn't pregnant. But it's not fair because...I'm careful and I got stuff to do with my life! Stuff that...that doesn't allow me to give adequate time to care for a kid! And I'm nothing that a mother should be! I'm selfish and neurotic and bratty, not warm and selfless and comforting. This is so wrong!"

When her worst fears were confirmed, she burst into tears. "No," she sobbed on Junior's shoulder. "No, no, no!"

"You don't have to keep it, you know," he said in a muted voice. "You could always abort it or...give it to Sammy to raise."

Angelica sighed. "Yeah, I suppose I could do that. And maybe I'll feel better about this when I'm not feeling so sick or in so much shock." She sighed. "I think I'll see this through and then decide what to do after. It's the only thing that feels right."

"You can do this," Junior encouraged. "You're not alone. And when are you gonna tell Sammy?"

"Do you think I need to?" Angelica asked. "Do you think he would even care? As dark as he is now, he probably wouldn't. And I wouldn't want to burden him."

"Tell him," Junior said firmly. "Tell him when we go to get the Dragon out of him tonight. Knowing that he's gonna be a father could be a big step toward keeping him on a more even keel."

"You have a point," Angelica sniffled. "I'll do it. I'll tell him tonight."

* * *

"Babe!" Sammy exclaimed as he grabbed her in a hug and pulled her inside, nearly slamming the door in Junior's face before he slipped inside. "So nice to see ya! Though you'd come by for a little bit of fun!"

"Hey, stop!" Angie gently pushed him away. "I know I told you that you could call me 'babe' and I wouldn't break your fingers but that's not what I came for."

Then Sammy noticed Junior. "What's he doing here?"

"We're gonna get the Dragon out of you," Junior told him. "Things with her have gone far enough."

"What if I don't _want_ her out of me?" Sammy asked. "What if I like things just the way they are?"

"Well you won't ever get to see your baby, that's for certain," Angelica said firmly.

"Wait, my baby?" Sammy got that look on his face, the one that showed the real him was still in there somewhere. "You...you're pregnant? I guess I was a bit too athletic, huh?"

"Apparently so," Angelica nodded. "Yep, I'm pregnant and if you want to keep the kid, I think it would be best if you and your parents took it."

"You don't want it?" Sammy questioned and sat down in a chair. "How could you not want it?"

"I'm not ready!" Angelica told him. "It'd be better for the baby to be raised by you and your parents."

"Okay," Sammy sighed. "If you think it's best." He turned and looked at Junior. "Let's do what we need to do," he said. "Someone's gotta be there for this kid, and I guess it's all up to me."

Junior nodded and restrained him and then Angelica held his hand as her grandfather worked and worked to get the Dragon out.

It took hours, looked incredibly painful, and by the end, they were all exhausted.

"Are you sure she's gone?" Angelica asked her grandfather.

"Yeah, she's really gone this time," Junior nodded. "What do you say we all get some sleep now?"

"I'll go call Mom and Dad and tell them I'm staying here for the night," Angelica decided. Then, once that was done, she zapped herself into a t-shirt and plaid pajama pants and went to sleep next to Sammy on the sofa. And as her eyes closed, she was sure she felt his arms go around her as he gently kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you, Angelica."

Grandpa was right. Things were back to normal after all. Thank goodness.

* * *

The next morning, she went home and was met at the door by her mother and Valerie.

"Hi," Angie remarked as they ushered her inside. "What's going on? How was your evening?"

"Both your sister and my father told me that you're pregnant," Ellie said.

"Yeah, I know," Angie sighed and sat down. "I should have told you last night that I wasn't responsible and got myself into a big mess."

"Well, if you were using condoms then you were at least trying," Ellie replied. "Stuff happens. You did the best you could." She came over and put her arms around her daughter. "So what happens now?"

"I'm gonna have the baby," Angelica got out with a sigh. "Then I'm gonna let Sammy and his parents raise it, at least for a little bit...until I'm more used to the idea. I think that would be the best thing."

"What?" Valerie got out. "You're just gonna ditch your..." She then got such a searing glare from her mother that she went silent and excused herself. "Never mind. I don't think I need to be part of this discussion."

Once she was gone, Ellie said, "I know what you mean. I've been there, as you know. I thought I'd stay away forever...that that would be easy, but it wasn't, even if I was terrified that I gave birth to monsters instead of cute, human-looking babies."

"Well, it's not really the baby that's the problem," Angelica sighed. "It's Sammy. He's not...he's not the man I used to love anymore. I don't think, even though your dad says he's better now, that he's someone I could raise a kid with. I know it's terrible. I know that, you don't have to tell me. But I just...I can't shake it."

"Just be patient," Ellie told her. "Things could change. In fact, they probably will when you least expect it."

* * *

Once the Dragon Lady had been defeated, the spirits she had captured were released from their underworld prison and returned to solid bodies once more, although it was still up to them to find a home.

In the back of his mind, Josh knew that he had a house with a roof on it to go home to. But he didn't want to. No one cared about him there. So he began to wander, enjoying the freedom that came with not having to answer to anyone or care about anyone who would hurt him. He lived in a tent in the woods and ate whatever came along, defending his small kingdom against intruders until one morning, he woke up to rain falling on his face and his tent collapsed in as a young woman with wet blonde hair and a concerned look stared down at him. It was Cassidy.

"Go away!" He snarled. "Leave me alone!"

Cassidy stepped closer. "Are you just out here camping? Do you have a home?"

" _This_ is my home," he said, growling and giving her a push. "And I said 'Go away'!" He thought that would scare her away, but it didn't. Even when he knew his demon face was showing.

"You're a demon," she got out. "Come with me. I can get you a better place to live."

He gripped her arms hard and got right in her face. "What part of 'No' do you not understand? I like my solitude."

"Why? So you don't get hurt?" Cassidy prodded.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" He scoffed. "Why can't you be scared of me like everyone else?"

"Too much bad life experience," she said, sitting a small distance away as the rain continued to soak them both, much to his disbelief. "Sorry to disappoint you." She then leaned forward and pulled at him. "Come on, you can't stay here in nothing but a tent being soaked by the rain."

"Yes I can!" Josh snapped. "Don't touch me!"

"Are you so stubborn because you don't think you have anywhere else to go?" Cassidy asked.

"Well, I don't!" Josh replied. "My family rejected me. Every last one of them."

"What if I told you that if you came with me, you could get a _new_ family?" Cassidy asked. "How does that sound?"

"Like a big lie!" Josh snapped. "And even if it were true, why would you want to do this for me? I'm a stranger to you."

"You're someone who needs a place to belong and a purpose," Cassidy told him. "There's nothing strange about that. Now, I don't know if demons can get colds, but at least come with me so you can get dry."

"Well, you seem very persistent," Josh conceded with a giant sneeze that made Cassidy start a little. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt me to dry off."

"Great!" Cassidy cried. "Come with me!"

* * *

"Now just to warn you," Cassidy said as she pulled a somewhat resistant Josh into the Underground compound. "A lot of people here, practically all of them, have been rejected in some way or another just like you. They may be suspicious or unkind but it's because they don't know you, so don't be offended."

"Why would I be offended by the reactions of people I'm only gonna see for two seconds?" Josh asked, finally pulling out of her grip. "I told you, I wasn't staying, remember?"

Cassidy sighed. "Well, there's something I didn't mention to you before," she said, eyes averted. "Once I bring you here...you're not exactly allowed to walk away. This community is dependent on secrecy for survival and...we can't have you blabbing about it."

"So I'm a prisoner here!" Josh cried. "Thanks a lot for nothing!"

"What's all the shouting?" Pops asked as he came toward them. "Cassidy. who's this?"

"I don't know," Cassidy shrugged. "Found him in a tent in the woods. He's a homeless demon, though."

"Oh, well, we'll see what we can do about getting you a place," Pops told him.

Josh sighed. "Well, since I can't leave, what other choice do I have?"

"What's your name?" Pops asked.

"Why do you need to know?" Josh snapped.

"Okay, we'll just call you Joe, all right?" Pops said, stepping back a little. "Does that work for you?"

"Whatever," Josh snapped. "I don't care."

* * *

It took a lot of bargaining and arguing, but eventually, a grumpy Josh was settled in a room away from most of the others that had a nice fireplace and a big bed but was not large enough for him to have many visitors.

"I know things seem bad now," Pops told him before he left him on his own. "But you're not the first to come here upset. Things will be better for you, son."

"Can you just go away now?" Josh commanded.

"If you wish," Pops sighed and shut the door, leaving Josh alone, staring into his roaring fire.

* * *

"What do you want?" Gwen sighed when she opened the door to a knock. Charlotte had returned. "I only ask because I want to give you a chance to explain yourself before I punch you in the face."

"What is it with you and punching?" Charlotte questioned as she made her way inside. "No wonder you have so much aggression inside of you. Pent-up sexual tension, I suppose. Did you ask but my husband turned you down?"

"Oh, that's it!" Gwen thought of using magic to respond to this horrible remark, but chose her fists and feet instead.

"Oh!" Charlotte cried as she went flying into the wall and some blood dripped down her nose.

"What's going on in here?" Steve asked. Then he saw Charlotte and groaned. "Oh, what now?" He asked. "What more could you do to us?"

"Can't a person just come and say 'Hello' to another person?" Charlotte shrugged.

"Why must you always be so cruel to women who aren't you that give me any attention?" Steve asked. "First your sister all those years ago and now Gwen...it's over now. It has to stop!"

"No, it doesn't!" Charlotte replied and shot a flash of power at Gwen, sending her flying into Steve's arms. "The fun's just beginning, I think. I've been itching for a good fight with her ever since I got here!"

"You're not going to fight with her," Steve said firmly. "If you want to fight someone, fight me!"

"Oh, that's fine, Steve," Gwen told him. "It's gallant of you to offer but if she wants a fight, I'd be more than happy to give her a fight."

This time, Gwen did use her magic, leaving Charlotte, who was powerless, bloody and bruised.

"Do you give up now?" Steve asked her. "Don't you see how wrong this all is?"

But Charlotte just gave a pained laugh, her eyes on Gwen. "You always were a good fighter, sister. I'm proud of you."

This remark made Gwen's eyebrows knit with confusion as Steve froze. "What's she talking about?" She asked Steve. "I'm not her sister."

"No, of course you're not," Steve said and patted her arm. "Her sister disappeared _eons_ ago. At least that's what she told me. The hit on the head is probably making her say things that aren't true."

"Actually, Husband," Charlotte told him, taking his chin in her hand as she looked him in the eye. "What I told you before...that was a lie. When I told you my sister was gone forever...she's not. She's Gwen over there. She was just sent away. It wouldn't have been much fun for me if I'd killed her. Making her lose her memories and be sent away from all she holds dear is much more fun for me."

"You-!" Steve got out and grabbed Charlotte by the throat.

"Let her go!" Gwen cried. "I don't know what she's talking about, but it wouldn't be good to kill her!"

"She lied to me about someone I loved very much," Steve said. "Told me she was gone forever just for her own gain and amusement!"

"But...but if she's right...then I'm right here," Gwen told him. "Let her go. Don't do this."

Steve then frowned and threw Charlotte on the floor. "Okay, Gwen, dear," he said, pulling her to him and holding her close. "For you."


	57. A Push In The Right Direction

Steve had hoped that Thanksgiving would have been the day that Michael and Gabriel would have finally admitted their feelings for Lexie and Emma, but no such luck. Clearly more drastic action was called for. So he called his sons to come to his house.

"What is it, Father?" Gabriel questioned when they were all settled. "If you don't mind my asking."

"I just...I wanted you boys to know that since Lexie and Emma seem well, the two of you will be going back to Heaven. But don't worry, not immediately, you'll still have time to say goodbye."

He then sat back and smiled to himself as he waited for their response and he was not disappointed.

"We can't leave now!" Gabriel protested, a rare move for him. "What about Ellie's parents' wedding? It would be rude to leave before that and make Lexie and Emma go by themselves!"

Steve then turned to look at Michael, who stood stiffly, his jaw clenched tight so that his father wouldn't see how he was really feeling. "Do you agree with your brother?" He asked. "Do you want to wait? Do you think I'm wrong?"

"No," Michael got out, his eyes darkening and betraying his mood in a way the rest of his body will not. "If you need us to go, we'll go. It'll probably be better for me anyway."

But in his mind, Emma's face was clear, especially the pretty smile he knew he'd probably never see again.

Steve looked back and forth between his sons, trying not to grin. _This_ is what he had wanted to see. The hesitation, the emotion, the _feelings!_ "You know," he got out, "I think you can wait until after the wedding. I'm sure Lexie and Emma will be glad to hear that you get a little while longer."

"We have to tell them that we're leaving?" Gabriel got out.

"Well of course!" Steve nodded. "They're gonna notice that you're missing, aren't they?" He paused and decided to give the little push. "Unless you don't want to leave at all."

"No, no, if you say it's best for us to leave, who am I to go against you?" Gabriel questioned as Steve let out a groan internally. Was this his fault? Had he made it so Gabriel was continually unable to speak up for what he wanted?

If it was than it was his duty to fix it and he knew exactly how.

* * *

"What is it that you want, Dad?" Lucifer sighed.

"Well, can I come in and tell you?" Steve questioned.

"Oh, all right," Lucifer conceded and gestured for Steve to come inside. They sat on sofas across from one another and Lucifer repeated his question. "What is it that you want?"

"I need a favor," Steve got out. "And it's nothing as bad as you might think. In fact, you might enjoy it."

"I doubt that," Lucifer replied. "But please continue anyway."

"I need you to teach your brother Gabriel how to tell me 'No'." Steve got out, making Lucifer raise an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" He got out. "Would you repeat that? It sounded like you wanted me to teach Gabriel how to defy you."

"Or at least make him more willing to," Steve nodded. "You heard right. We're on the right track, though. He insisted that they stay until after Sarah and Sean's wedding so they can be the girls' escorts."

"And I assume Michael is having no problem demanding to stay here?" Lucifer questioned.

"Surprisingly, he's doing what I ask too." Steve chuckled. "He's between a rock and a hard place. If he says he wants to stay, that means admitting I was right about Emma and he doesn't like admitting that I'm right about anything. So he would rather make a hole in his life that dare risk admitting I was right about something." He paused. "Would you talk to Michael too?"

"Not unless you tell me what's in it for me," Lucifer replied, even though he had wanted to have the chance to help Gabriel grow a backbone for years. "You know I'm not just going to be your errand boy anymore."

"I assume that satisfaction of knowing that you helped your family be happy is not good enough of a reason?" Steve asked, eyebrow raised.

"You guessed right!" Lucifer grinned.

Steve then looked behind Lucifer and noticed Ellie coming into the room on her way to the kitchen. "Eleanor, would you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Ellie said. "What is it? If it's something I can do I'd be glad to."

"I need you to convince my sons to show your sisters their feelings," Steve told her. "Do you think you can do that? I told them that since Emma and Alexandra are adjusting to life without their mother, there was no need for them to be here anymore and that they should be heading home in the hopes that they would tell me how wrong I am and that there was no way they were going, but it didn't work and they're plotting to head home as we speak. Maybe you'lll have better luck in convincing them to stay."

"Well, I don't know how successful I'd be with Michael and Gabriel because I don't know them very well, but I can definitely try to make headway with Emma and Lexie," Ellie assured him. "Maybe if Michael and Gabriel knew just how badly my sisters want them to stay, they'd be more willing to admit their own feelings."

"That is a brilliant idea!" Steve told her with a twinkle in his eye. "Thank you, Eleanor!"

"You're welcome," Ellie replied with a smile.

"Oh, you are a _clever_ operator," Lucifer hissed as he narrowed his eyes. "Getting Eleanor to do your bidding because you know that, just like Angelica, she's not the type to turn down someone in need if she can help."

"I wouldn't say Angelica's as willing to give of herself as she used to be," Steve corrected. "She's turning into you in that respect."

"Good!" Lucifer spat. "It's about time, too."

* * *

"Is it just me, or do you also feel it's not gonna be pretty when we tell them that we have to go back to Heaven?" Gabriel asked Michael as they stood outside Lucifer's house after getting a few stiff drinks at the club to give them courage. They had no idea that Ellie had already told the girls about everything.

"Of course it's not gonna be pretty!" Michael told him. "But really, I feel sorrier for you. Lexie is probably gonna break things when she hears, including your face."

"And you think Emma will just take it nicely and let you go?" Gabriel asked incredulously.

"Of course," Michael hitched his shoulders. "I don't even think she likes me that way."

They then decided to let themselves back in, thankful for the keys Ellie had had made for them, and went to their rooms.

"What did your dad want?" Emma asked, coming over to Michael and beginning to unbutton his shirt. She thought she could get him comfortable and making him just blurt everything out.

"He just wanted to talk," Michael told her, taking his face in his hands. "You know, you're very pretty."

Emma froze, her hand on his bare chest. "You sound weird. Why do you sound weird?"

"I'm...I'm trying to ease you into the idea that...Dad says I have to go back to Heaven soon," Michael said as she frowned and moved her hand. "And Gabriel too."

"I don't think your dad had anything to do with this!" Emma yelled. "I think that now that we've fucked, it's enough and you're trying to make a quick exit. Ellie warned us about this! I wanted to hope it was a lie, but you're just as spineless as ever! I've never felt so used in my entire life. Was this your plan from the beginning?"

"No!" Michael cried.

"Yes!" Emma hissed. "Don't you lie to me. Don't hurt me any worse. If you really mean to stay, tell me, to my face. And mean it. If you really cared, you would and you wouldn't be chicken."

"I am not a chicken!" Michael spat and pulled her to him, kissing her soundly. "Is that good enough for you?"

"No," Emma shook her head. "That proves nothing! Anyone can kiss! Anyone can fuck! Show me that you care and make a damn effort for once in your life!"

"You know I don't work that way!" Michael cried. "I don't do big shows of emotion and feelings and all that nonsense! If you can't accept me for how I am and would rather have some prissy boy on a white horse then maybe it's good I'm leaving so you can have exactly what you want!"

"I want you!" Emma told him. "I just hate feeling like I'm the only one who gives a damn in this relationship. A girl wants to feel wanted, you know? And it doesn't even take a lot." She shook him. "Can you at least tell me that you want me? For more than just screwing around, I mean."

"I do, but...I can't let Dad know that!" Michael told her. "Don't you get it? That means he wins!"

"If Uncle Lucifer, who's even worse than you when it comes to admitting that your father is right about something, can admit to his face that he's happy with Ellie than I wouldn't think it would be so hard for you," Emma remarked. "I won't fly under the radar. I won't be your dirty little secret. Either we do this all the way or we don't do it at all. Make your choice. Cause I know what I want. It's up to you."

He stared at her, his lip twitching as she crossed her arms and began tapping her foot. "Well," she asked. "What's your answer?"

"Would you stop doing that with your foot?" He asked. "It's very distracting."

"This should not be a hard thing for you to answer!" Emma shouted. "Say it for crying out loud! Say that you love me and you want to be with me forever!"

"Is that the only way to do this?" Michael asked. "What will you do if I don't?"

"Don't say it or don't want to be with me forever?" Emma asked.

"Don't say it," Michael clarified.

"How the heck else am I supposed to know?" Emma questioned.

"Let me decide that, okay?" Michael asked. "If you let me do this my own way, I promise that you'll be very pleasantly surprised."

* * *

Meanwhile, as expected, Lexie wasn't taking the news any better.

"I can't believe you're gonna do this," she said. "I just...we've been through so much, Gabriel! You've had sex! You've done all this new stuff with me and now you're just gonna say 'how high' because your dad says 'jump'? Don't I matter enough to you to fight that? Or are you still gonna be a toadie? Because I don't like toadies. It's good you showed your true colors now!"

"I don't want to go at all!" Gabriel replied. "Would it make you feel better if I told you that I got Dad to let us stay til after Ellie's parents' wedding so you wouldn't have to go alone?"

"I'd rather go alone than go with a spineless loser like you!" Lexie replied. "I thought you were my new beginning after Mom died. I...I thought I loved you, but obviously you don't feel the same way about me, so just go, would you?"

"Fine," Gabriel spat, and then grabbed her, kissing her soundly. "But before I go, I just want to say that I love you too."

"You do?" Lexie asked in shock. "You really mean that?"

"Yes!" Gabriel nodded. "I don't really want to go at all, but I can't disappoint my father. His word is law, you know."

"Well, maybe this is a test, like you having sex with me," Lexie guessed. "You thought it was a problem, but when you told your dad, he was okay with it. Maybe he'd be all right with you staying too. It wouldn't hurt to ask...if you want to, that is."

"Oh, I do," Gabriel nodded and locked eyes with her, moving a curl out of her face. "More than anything. Okay, I'll go and ask." He held out his hand. "Wanna come with me?"

"You know it," She replied with a smile, putting her hand in his.

They made their way out of the house, pausing to watch as Michael arranged several bouquets of red roses into the shape of the words "I love you, Emma" in the yard under her window.

"Seriously?" Gabriel asked. "That's...a very public show of feeling."

"Well, it's what she needs apparently," Michael sighed. "I feel like an absolute fool."

"That's good for you, brother," Gabriel grinned. "I just know Emma will appreciate all the effort. Sing to her too. You have a good voice." He really didn't but Gabriel felt the need to encourage his brother.

"No, I'm not singing," Michael said in flat voice. He sang horribly and Gabriel knew it.

Once Gabriel and Lexie were gone, Michael threw a rock against Emma's closed window and when she opened it to see what the noise was, he began singing "Bring Me To Life" in such a sour tone that neighbors began shouting for him to shut up.

The noise made Emma open the window immediately. "Michael, what are you doing? Stop it cause people are trying to slee-" She paused when the light hit the flower arrangement. "What's all that?" She asked. "Am I hallucinating or does that bunch of roses say 'I love Emma'?"

"It does," Michael nodded. "I know it's a bit much, and it's not saying anything, but..."

"No, it's...it's more than I ever expected of you. It's enough. Thank you!" Emma smiled. "Just a minute. I'll come down there."

"Oh, don't make a fuss," Michael called to her, jumping from foot to foot and not looking up because he was embarrassed by the spectacle he had just made. "It's just a few roses in a shape, it's no big deal."

Soon she was next to him and had her arms around him, having not heard a word of his protest at all. "So...is this just a grand gesture before you leave? Should I not get too attached?"

"Well, I...I bought a new suit and it would be a shame if I didn't get to wear it to a wedding," Michael told her. "And I might have ordered some things off pay-per-view that I can't miss. So I won't be leaving just yet."

"Okay," Emma said. "That's good...you wanna go have dinner?"

"Sure," Michael grinned and kissed her soundly while his hands cupped her bottom and he gave it a good squeeze. "After you figure out what you want to do with all your roses."

* * *

"I thank you both for cleaning the house," Steve told Gabriel and Lexie. "But now that it's clean, you can tell me why you're here."

They came to stand in front of him and then Lexie gave Gabriel a push forward. "Go ahead and say it."

"I'm going to," Gabriel told her. "You don't have to prompt me." Then he took a deep breath and told Steve, "Dad, I don't think I want to go back to Heaven, even though you say my time here is done. I want to stay here with Alexandra because I love her and she loves me to. My Heaven is here now, not up there."

"Is it?" Steve smiled.

"Yes!" Gabriel replied, not noticing the smile because he was becoming panicked by what he'd just done. "And if you don't like it then...then that's your problem, not mine!"

Steve lapsed into silence until Gabriel said, "Will you say something, please?"

"All right," Steve nodded. "I have to say I'm disappointed in you."

"What?" Gabriel asked and fell to his knees "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Disappointed that it took you this long to admit your feelings!" Steve finished. "This is the sort of thing I've been waiting to come out of your mouth for ages!"

"Wait, really?" Gabriel asked. "You mean, I don't have to go back to Heaven?" Lexie had her arm around him now, her initial look of anger dissipated when she realized Steve wasn't chiding Gabriel at all.

"You never did," Steve told him. "And Michael didn't either. I just thought that the prospect of being separated from someone you clearly love would be th perfect way to get you and your brother to admit how you felt."

"Well, it worked for me," Gabriel nodded. "And Michael too. He did this thing with Emma and roses and singing..."

"Oh, I know," Steve nodded. "It was really amazing. Never expected him to do anything like that."

Gabriel then said, "So it's good for me and Lexie to be together?"

"Yes, it's good that you and Lexie and your brother and Emma are together but...at some point, you're still gonna have to go back to Heaven."

He gave Lexie a look. "You understand that, right? And you'll explain it to your sister?"

"Of course," Lexie said in a flat voice. "Whatever you want." She wasn't really.

Not feeling like they had anything else to say, Gabriel and Lexie excused themselves and left the house.

"Well, that was mean," Gwen said, coming to sit next to Steve on the couch. "They already got together and told you they like each other. What more could you possibly want from them? What could you gain by sending Gabriel and Michael back home?"

"Two new daughters-in-law," Steve said simply and with a soft smile. "They're going to go get married now just to defy me. I actually heard Gabriel say it and I bet he'll suggest it for Michael too."

"But it's not defying you at all, is it?" Gwen smiled back knowingly.

"No," Steve shook his head and squeezed Gwen's knee. "Of course not."

Gwen looked down at his hand and gently moved it without meeting his eyes.

"What's the matter?" Steve asked her, turning her face toward his. "Gwen, are you all right?"

"No, I...I don't know," Gwen sighed. "What was your wife talking about, me being her sister? I went along with it at first just so that you wouldn't kill her and she'd go away, but...I don't understand! Is it a joke? If it's true and not just some trick, how come I don't remember it?"

"It's hard to explain," Steve told her. "My wife did have a sister who I loved very much and you _do_ look like her; I don't know why I didn't see it before. As for why you don't remember, I have no doubt that Charlotte did something to your memory when she sent you away. I but we'll get your memories back, I promise."

"I..." Gwen stepped back a little, blushing. "I don't know if I want that. I like things just the way they are and I don't want trouble."

"There won't be trouble," Steve swore, his blue eyes seeming even bluer. "Let me help you, Gwen. Please."

"Thanks, but...not now." Gwen zapped up a suitcase and headed to the door. "I think I need to go stay with Rebecca for a while. Please understand."

"All right," Steve sighed, hoping this bit of what he'd seen was going to be inaccurate, but apparently not. "I'll be here waiting for you."

"Don't wait too long," Gwen urged.

"I've waited for eons," he told her. "Take all the time you need."


	58. Taking On The Darkness

At first, Lucifer had understood Angie's bad mood about Sammy, but eventually, he and Ellie decided that since they were expecting, something needed to be done to help her cope. So Lucifer suggested taking her to see Amy, something she wasn't immediately opposed to. Until it was time to get down to the real problem.

"Can I keep talking about Sammy today?" Angie asked as she sat down at the time of her and Amy's regular session. "Having somewhere safe to vent is really helping me feel better about all this." She paused when she noticed a third chair. "Who else is coming?" She asked. "I mean, I know you're not technically a therapist, but who else would you allow to hear all my private thoughts?"

"The person who needs to hear them the most," Amy replied, rising to get the door when she heard knocking.

An enraged Angie rose to her feet as a smirking Sammy, clad in ripped jeans and a really tight black t-shirt, strode into the room and grinned at her, one side of his mouth up. "So I hear you've been talking about me," He remarked. "I'm flattered, but not surprised."

"I can't do this with him here!" Angie cried. "He doesn't care! He'll probably just turn it into another mean song about me. I quit!"

Sammy let her get to the door, then picked her up and carried her back to the chair, giving her a gentle spank right in front of Amy. "The nice lady wants to talk," he told her as she glared at him. "And we're going to because I didn't come all the way here for nothing."

"Don't talk to me that way!" Angie cried. "I won't be spoken to like that!" She looked at Amy over Sammy's shoulder. "Aren't you gonna do something? Why aren't you doing anything?"

"You have to talk to him," Amy said. "Say all the stuff you tell me, cause that's the only way things will change."

"Oh, I don't think talking will get through to her," Sammy grinned and peeled off his shirt, revealing a very cut abdominal wall.

"Don't go for your pants, please!" Angelica begged. She was already starting to feel warm and wet as pictures floated in front of her eyes.

"What?" Sammy asked and took off his jeans too. "Did you tell me to take off my pants? Don't mind if I do!"

Amy kept her eyes averted and smirked down at her notebook as the boxers came off too. Then Sammy grinned as a panting Angelica plucked at her skirt, pulling it up, her warm brown eyes jet black with desire.

"I can see your underpants," Sammy whispered against her ear as he pulled her close against his hard body.

Angie wanted to struggle some more but he smelled so good and it felt so good to be near him that she sighed and said, "fine, I give up. Not forever, just for now."

"Uh-huh," Sammy nodded "I think I've got you now. End of story."

"Oh, shut up," Angelica grinned and kissed him as Amy rose to her feet and spoke. "I'm leaving now," she said. "I'll let the two of you work this out yourself."

By the time she shut the door behind her, both Sammy and Angelica were naked and he had her balanced against the wall as he pushed into her.

"Oh, yes," Angie cried. "Oh, yes!"

Her climax sent them both falling forward, but Sammy twisted his body just in time so that she landed on him and not directly on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Sammy asked.

"Yeah," Angie nodded. "I'm fine. Thanks. Did I hurt you?"

"Nothing I won't heal from," he smiled, taking her face in his hands. "You know, you're really pretty when you're flushed."

"Oh, stop," Angie grinned and blushed redder, zapping up a blanket to cover them both with.

"See?" Sammy pushed. "You like me. I know it, you like me!"

"Well, you're good at sex, I'll admit that," Angie told her. "You may not be able to be nice or caring anymore, but at least your man parts still work!"

"Hey!" Sammy cried. "I can still be good!" He reached out and stroked her belly and the rest of her body before giving her a gentle rub, a grin on his face and light in his eyes. "How's our boy doing?" He asked.

"How do you know it'll be a boy?" Angie asked. "It could _not_ be a boy!"

"It is!" Sammy insisted. "I just know!" He huffed. "Do you have to start fights about everything?"

"You're right," Angie sighed, taking his face in her hands and kissing his lips gently before he took her hand and kissed her palm. "I'm sorry."

"Are you?" Sammy asked.

"Yes!" Angie cried. "I am, okay?" Then she kissed him again but Sammy pushed her back.

"Wait just a minute now, what are you doing?" He asked.

"Well, it seems like the only time we don't fight is when we're having sex, so...yeah," Angie told him. "Put two and two together, would you?"

"You know that you can control what you say and do, right?" Sammy countered. "You don't have to start fights with me. What the hell is wrong with you? _Tell me_ , please!"

"I can't!" Angie shouted. "You'll just think it's stupid! Emotional crap means nothing to you now! You're so screwed up you can't feel _anything_! That's why I push you away because I can't give love without knowing that I won't get love back!"

"Okay, that's it!" Sammy cried. "Now you're just spouting bullshit! If you think I can't love then why are you leaving our baby with me?"

"You can't love _me!"_ Angie quickly corrected.

"Even if things aren't the same as they used to be, I'd try if you let me and the fact that you don't is your problem, not mine. I might not love you in a warm and fuzzy way at present, but you have lots of people who do. I love your darkness, Angie. I love that part of you that you don't even want to admit is there and I think that's what you need more from me than anything else." Sammy told her, getting up, zapping on his clothes, and then striding out of the room and telling Amy that the two of them were done.

When she was dressed, Amy came back into the room, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a muffin in the other. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"No," Angie sniffled. "I'm not okay at all. I just...I'm the bad guy here aren't I? He said that all I needed to do was give him a chance, and it scares me! What if _I never_ can? I have a problem, Amy! I want to be with Sammy and I want to love our child, but...I don't know if I can get past all the crap in my head!" She then threw herself into Amy's arms and Amy held her and stroked her hair. "We'll figure it out," she promised. "Don't worry."

* * *

"Hey," Roxie said, knocking on Noah's office door. "A kid wants to see you. I told him to wait at the bar."

"What does this kid look like?" Noah asked, wondering just what sort of kid would want to see him. "And how in the world did he get here?"

"Not quite sure," Roxie shrugged. "All he would tell me was that he needed to see you. He's kinda doofy looking, red hair all over the place, freckles. You know anyone like that?"

"Not personally, but Cassidy does," Noah said. "Maybe I should call her..." He bounded out to the bar and saw the boy sitting on a stool. "You know you shouldn't be here," he told him. "I'm gonna call Cassidy to come get you. What's your name?"

"Willie," the boy replied. "And I need to talk to you. That's why I came all the way over here, so please don't call her yet."

"Fine," Noah sighed and poured him a soda. "You're obviously not going away, so what do you want? If you're here to talk about Cassidy..."

"No, who cares about her?" Willie interrupted. "I just wanted to talk to you." He looked around and whistled through his teeth. "How'd you get a cool place like this? What did it cost you?"

"Oh, you won't be able to ever afford it, little man," Noah told him.

"Well, okay," Willie conceded. "But can you...can you help me find some other way to make tons of money? I want to have a gazillion dollars and a yacht and stuff!"

"I like your style, but I think we need to start slow," Noah told him. "And I have just the thing I want you to do for me in exchange for my help."

"What could I possibly do for you?" Willie questioned. "I'm just a kid! And I'm poor!"

"I don't want your money," Noah assured him. "But Cassidy likes you, so...will you talk me up?"

"Don't you already spend a lot of time with her?" Willie questioned. "Why would you spend so much time together if she didn't already like you?"

"'Like' is not the word I would use exactly," Noah told him. "It's just...it's complicated. Would you help me?"

"Sure, I guess," Willie shrugged. He finished his drink and pushed the empty glass at him. "Can I have a beer now?" He asked.

"No," Noah said firmly. "How about I teach you to play pool instead? I'll get you really good and then introduce you to the people who play for cash."

"Okay!" Willie replied and hopped off the stool. "Where's the pool table?"

"Follow me," Noah gestured. "It's not far."

* * *

"Willie what in the heck!" Cassidy's voice rang clearly, even in the noisy club. After several games of pool, Noah had finally called her. "What would make you want to come here? Do your parents know you're gone? They're probably worried sick! I'm taking you home!"

"That's what I tried to tell him," Noah told her. "But he insisted on staying here. Now you can take him. We can go in my car."

"No, that's fine," Cassidy insisted. "Thanks for watching him and keeping him out of trouble but I brought my car."

"I insist," Noah told her. "Let me come with you. Who knows what kind of trouble will follow this kid? I don't want you dealing with it alone."

"Let's take _his_ car," Willie told Cassidy. "Please? It's black and shiny and looks a lot cooler than yours."

"Fine," Cassidy sighed. "But when we get you home, you're gonna tell your parents what you did and that you're sorry for worrying them. Got it?"

"Fine," Willie rolled his eyes as Cassidy herded him out the door. "But I was gonna go right back, I promise."

"Sure you were," Cassidy responded and gave him a push, which earned him a glare. After some bickering back and forth between Noah and Cassidy, she finally agreed to go in his car after he zapped hers away.

"But if something bad happens to it, don't blame me cause it was your idea," Cassidy reminded him as they all got in and put on their seatbelts.

"Does this mean I finally get to find out where you live now?" Noah asked Cassidy. "You've avoided telling me where it is for too long."

"We should tell him," Willie urged from the backseat. "He won't tell anyone." The little boy then leaned forward to put his hands on Noah's shoulders. "You won't, will you? It's very important."

"No, I won't tell a soul," Noah promised. "I swear."

* * *

Cassidy gave him directions to the community and when they arrived, Pops meant them at the entrance.

"Another poor soul?" He asked. "You sure know how to find them. Why don't you show him around? And take Willie with you?"

"Oh, I don't know if that's a good idea," Cassidy told him. "Willie's been out and about and I don't know if his parents know he's gone. He should probably go home and tell them." She paused, realizing Pops wasn't meeting her eyes and watching as a couple of tears fell down his face and onto the ground. "What's the matter?" She asked.

"There...there was an incident," he sighed. "Don't take Willie home. Not yet."

"Are my mom and dad okay?" Willie asked. "I have to see them."

"Willie, no!" Pops cried. But when he disappeared, the older man gave Cassidy and Noah a desperate look. "Go get him, please! I don't want him to see what the apartment looks like! There was a horrible fight and it's a mess!"

Cassidy and Noah didn't hesitate another minute. She grabbed his hand and started to run but Noah quickly realized that they wouldn't get anywhere fast with her leg the way it was. He picked her up and began running while she gave directions.

But they were too late. They found a sobbing Willie sitting on the couch in the blood spattered and bullet riddled apartment, his mother's head in his lap while his father's still body sat in his favorite chair, two bullets fired into the back of his head and other entry wounds that weren't fatal, but were hard to see under multiple bruises just like the ones his wife had.

"They're dead!" Willie cried. "My mommy and daddy are dead!"

Cassidy tried to move her friend's body from Willie's lap but let out a shriek and burst into tears when she saw that Rose's head had been nearly severed from her body (a fact that was hidden by the neckline of her shirt) and she quickly turned away to bury her head in Noah's shoulder.

"We'll figure out who did this and get them back," Noah promised. "Cassidy, I swear it!"

"Kill them," she said. "And make it hurt. Please. We have gang problems around here sometimes, but you never think it'll happen to you." She cried for a little longer and then turned to face Willie.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," she sniffled. "Here you're going through all this misery and I'm only thinking about myself."

"What's going to happen to me now?" He asked her.

"We'll think of something," Cassidy patted his head. "I promise."

"And you can stay with me until then," Noah said firmly and then urged them to go somewhere else while he moved the bodies. "You can't stay here, it's not safe. I won't take 'No' for an answer."

"All right, we'll pack our things," Cassidy promised. "Thank you, Noah. Thank you very much."

* * *

"Thank you so much for saying we'd watch Lily-Eleanor while Vincent and Lauren went out," Lee told Lisa as he cooked and Lily Eleanor banged on the pots and pans nearby.

"Oh, it's not a problem," Lisa told him. "Anything that will get you your baby fix that doesn't involve me getting pregnant is fine with me!"

"It won't be that bad!" Lee said. "I don't see why you're so worried!"

"Cause I'm the one that's gonna be carrying the demon baby!" Lisa cried. "If something bad happens, it will happen to _me_ , not you. Why don't you get that!" she then looked down and snatched a knife that the little girl had gotten a hold of out of her hand, gently so she wasn't cut.

"No, honey, we don't play with that," she said firmly. "It's dangerous." She handed Lily Eleanor a spoon instead and put the knife back in the drawer.

"Look at you," Lee grinned. "You're a natural mom already!" He then paused to watch as Lisa got on the floor beside the the little girl. "Geez, you even look related. It's like we're a family already!"

"Don't forget that we're not," Lisa reminded him as she took Lily Eleanor in her lap to give her a better angle for pot-banging. "Eventually, her parents will come back and you'll have to return her."

"We'll yeah, but that's not now, is it?" Lee pointed out and then slipped Lily-Eleanor a cookie.

"You can't just give her sweets like that!" Lisa cried. "Her tummy will be too full for dinner!"

"Oh, but look at how happy she is!" Lee pointed out the happily munching toddler. "And would it make you feel better if you got a cookie too?"

Lisa sighed. "What are you making?"

"Linguine and shrimp in cream sauce with steamed broccoli," Lee grinned.

"Okay, maybe just half a cookie," Lisa decided. "Don't want miss out on the shrimp!"

As Lisa and Lily Eleanor ate their cookies, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it cause you're cooking," Lisa volunteered and picked up Lily Eleanor to take with her. She opened the door and found herself face to face with her very disconcerted father.

"What?" She asked as he stared. "Would you like to come in?"

"You have a baby," Elijah got out after sitting down hard on the sofa. "Where did it come from? Why does it have red hair like you? Did you have a child and not tell me?"

"Oh, don't be silly, this one's not mine!" Lisa assured him. "You remember Lily Eleanor. She's Vincent and Lauren's!"

"Of course, how could I forget? It was just that for a moment..." He trailed off.

"They really do look alike, don't they?" Lee asked. "Can I get you a drink?"

"A big one," Elijah told him. "I don't care what it is."

While Lee got Elijah a drink, Lisa said, "I don't know what you came here for but if it was to tell me to end my marriage, that won't happen. I'm perfectly happy and you should respect that! If you can't, you should have Mom give you some sort of therapy!"

"I still am not comfortable that you married a man you hardly know!" Elijah told her. "He could be up to something! He could be on his mother's orders to use you as an incubator for some sort of evil demon hybrid race!" Elijah cried. "Did you ever think of that?"

"Oh, don't be proposterous!" Lisa cried. "I mean, sure he's been talking an awful lot about having kids, but I'm sure it's not for that reason."

"What if it is?" Elijah countered. "Be cautious, please."

"I think you're wrong," Lisa told him. "Lee would never do that to me!"

"Do what?" Lee asked.

"Nothing that you would do so it doesn't matter!" Lisa told him. "Dad was just gonna have his drink and leave. Weren't you, Dad?"

"Are you coming with me?" Elijah countered. "It's for your own good." He gulped down his drink.

"No, I'm not!" Lisa replied. "You're wrong and I'm staying and goodbye."

"Fine, but when something bad happens and he proves himself to be a cad and a liar, don't come crying to me!" Elijah spat and then stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"What was that all about?" Lee wanted to know.

"Oh, nothing," Lisa chuckled. "Dad just thinks that the only reason why you want to have kids is because your mom ordered you to impregnate me to create a race of super powerful demon creatures. Isn't that silly?"

"Sure our kids are gonna be powerful," Lee agreed. "But my mom had nothing to do with this."

"That's what I told him!" Lisa insisted. "I told him that you're a good man and I have nothing to worry about!"

"No, you certainly don't," Lee replied.

* * *

That night, however, after Lily Eleanor had been given back to her parents and Lee was getting ready for bed, he went to the bathroom and when he was done, moved in such a way that Lisa's birth control, which was situated, oddly enough, on the toilet tank, got knocked into the toilet.

Unsure of what to do, especially in light of the accusations her father had made, Lee just decided to flush them since they were of no use anyway and confess what had happened in the morning so that Lisa could get a new batch. He didn't know how she would take it, but he hoped that she wouldn't be mad. Or think that what her father had said was true. Because it wasn't at all. He just wanted to be a father with the woman he loved most and he was willing to wait. What was wrong with that?


	59. Lots of Little White Lies

The next morning, Lisa got up before Lee did to go to the bathroom and take her pills. She looked for them on the toilet tank, but of course they were gone. Then she looked down and saw a single pill floating in the toilet. She stared at it as it floated there and then growled and stormed out of the bathroom, shaking Lee roughly awake.

"Why is one of my birth control pills in the toilet?" She cried. "And what the hell happened to the rest of them?"

"What?" Lee asked. He'd known this was coming but he still wasn't awake enough to give a good answer.

"My pills!" Lisa screamed. "You threw my birth control down the toilet just like Daddy said you would! And to think I stuck up for you! Maybe I shouldn't have because you're a big fat liar!"

"I actually knocked them into the toilet on accident!" He cried. "I told you that was bad place to keep them!"

"Excuses excuses!" Lisa cried and pulled a brown leather suitcase out from under the bed. "I'm going home to my daddy!"

"No you aren't!" Lee cried after she'd packed her bags. He blocked the door and she glared at him. "Not until you give me a chance to explain myself!"

"You already did!" Lisa told him. "With some stupid lie about 'accidentally' knocking my pills in the toilet! But it's no lie! So just let me go!" She then zapped him away and while he was struggling to get up, she got the door open and made a run for it as Lee's shouting faded into the background, hoping that her mother would be the one to answer her knock when she got home because the last thing she wanted to hear was her father saying 'I told you so'.

* * *

"Lisa, honey, are you all right?" Amy asked when she saw her daughter on the front steps. "I mean, I assume not because of the suitcases. Come on in and tell me what happened. We'll make it better."

"Thanks, but before I come in, I have to ask if Dad is home," Lisa got out.

"Nope, he's visiting Klaus and Sybil at the moment," Amy replied. "So you can come in and you won't get a lecture."

"Good," Lisa nodded. "Thank you."

Once her suitcases had been settled in her room, she and her mother sat down on the sofa to talk.

"So what happened?" Amy asked. "What was the fight about?"

"Lee threw my birth control pills down the toilet!" Lisa cried. "He said he just accidentally knocked them in there but I don't know if I believe him."

"Well, and why wouldn't you?" Amy asked. "You've never had trouble trusting him before. That's why you eloped with him if I'm not mistaken. What changed?"

"Well...Dad said..." Lisa flushed, knowing how her reasoning was gonna sound now that she'd started the sentence that way.

"Oh, it figures!" Amy sighed. "You don't need to finish. What ridiculous ideas did your father put in your head in an attempt to get you to end your marriage and come home?"

"He...he said that the only reason Lee would want to get me pregnant was to create a super powerful race of hybrid creatures that would take over the world!" Lisa cried, her eyes wide and her arms flailing wildly.

"If that isn't the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" Amy huffed in exasperation. "And believe me, your father has said a lot of ridiculous things in an attempt to get his way. But honestly, this takes the cake!" She got up to stride purposefully toward the kitchen, where her purse with her cellphone sat.

"You're gonna call Daddy and give him an earful, aren't you?" Lisa asked, her tone smug.

"You are damn right I am!" Amy got out. "He can't just do this to you when you're perfectly happy because he doesn't like it! It's not right! Are you gonna call Lee and tell him you're sorry too?"

"Yes," Lisa heaved a big sigh. "I suppose I should for letting my mind run away with me." But just as she was about to pick up her phone and call, the door bell rang.

"Would you get that?" Amy called. "And if it's Lee, you can just go. Don't worry about it. I'll send your suitcases later."

"It probably would be Lee," Lisa muttered to herself. "Can't let me have a moment's peace, can he?"

"You're coming home with me!" Lee declared, picking her up off her feet and giving her a spank. "And you're never just storming off like that again, do you understand?"

"Yeah, fine, whatever," Lisa muttered. "I'm sorry."

"You should be!" Lee told her. "How could you think I would hurt you like that? What kind of monster do you think I am?"

She waited to respond until they were pulling away from the house and headed back to Lucifer's. "I don't know," she got out. "My dad had me all confused. I wasn't thinking...I..."

"Do me a favor and never listen to your dad about anything ever again, okay?" Lee asked.

"Right," Lisa nodded. "Okay."

"Good," Lee nodded. "I forgive you then. And just so you know, I was gonna explain what happened with the pills in the morning, so you could get more."

"So you really just _did_ accidentally knock them into the toilet?" Lisa asked.

"Yes," Lee nodded. "And I guess I should have taken them out, but they were useless anyway, so..."

Lisa nodded and patted his thigh. "I think the lesson we both learned here is that if this ever happens again, you _do not_ flush them. You get me right away and I'll deal with it myself."

"It won't happen again cause you're not keeping them on the toilet tank anymore," Lee countered. "I told you it was a stupid place to put them and this is exactly why."

"Oh, all right, I'll put the next batch in a cabinet even though that means it'll take a little more time to get them out," Lisa rolled her eyes. "Happy?"

"Yes," Lee nodded. "I am."

* * *

"You know, that was a great idea you had to bring me here during Angelica's session to get her more in touch with her feelings," Sammy told Amy when he came back to her and Elijah's in response to yet another phone call. "What now? Do you want to do it again?"

"No," Amy told him. "Please sit down. Now I want to talk about some of _your_ feelings." She pushed a plate and a glass toward him. "Would you like some lemonade and gingersnaps?"

"I would," Sammy said and took a drink and a bite. "Thank you. But really, I have nothing to talk about. It's a waste of an hour." He popped up the collar of his leather jacket and stared at her.

"Are you sure?" Amy asked.

"There's really not a lot to say," Sammy shrugged. "Angie's my woman, that's all. Her grandpa set us up."

"Oh, and you just...you think that that makes everything simple?" Amy questioned. "Are you positive?"

"Look, I'm not good with that 'feelings' crap anymore, all right?" Sammy told her. "So if you're trying to get feelings out of me, you won't! Our relationship is good without them, especially since we fit together so well sexually, and when she finally gets over herself and lets me be in charge! I don't do romantic stuff!"

"But there should be more to it than you just wanting to be in charge!" Amy cried. "Doesn't what she needs matter even _a little_? Cause what she needs is romance and a little bit of normalcy even if you do it a bit different now. Can't you think of something? What do you do for fun now?"

He shrugged. "I write songs, ride my motorcycle, and I even joined a fight club."

"Okay, that's not helping," Amy sighed. "Anything else? Anything more...romantic seeming?"

"I...I could take her for a ride, I suppose," Sammy got out. "That's a good idea, right?"

"It's...it's a step in the right direction," Amy got out, not quite sure that taking a pregnant woman on a motorcycle ride in the cold was the best idea but not wanting to kill his enthusiasm, since he was obviously trying. "Just...watch her and make sure she doesn't stay out in the cold, all right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sammy nodded and got up. "I'll do that, don't worry..." He got up to head to the door and Amy spoke, making him pause.

"Come back here," she said. "There's more I want to talk about."

"But...but I want to go see Angelica now!" Sammy whined.

"Sit," Amy ordered. "Please. This won't take too long, I promise."

"Fine," Sammy sighed and stomped back to his chair. "It better not!"

* * *

"Hi," Sammy said to Lucifer when he opened the door a few hours later. "Is Angelica home?"

"Yes, but I don't know if she wants to talk to you," Lucifer replied. "What is it that you want with her?"

"Can I come in and say it?" Sammy questioned. "It's a bit cold out here."

"Oh, all right, Samuel," Lucifer sighed. "I'll never hear the end of it from Eleanor if I let you freeze."

He then winced as Sammy strode over to the stairs and began calling for Angelica until she came down.

"What is your problem?" She cried. She was wearing a towel and had wet hair. "I was in the middle of a bath!"

"Well, get dressed warm cause I was thinking we could go on a date just like you wanted," Sammy smiled. "I brought my motorcycle!"

"Oh, but it's cold and I'm pregnant," Angelica shuddered. "I don't _think_ so."

"And I also agree that no daughter of mine will be in the company of a motorcycle riding hooligan," Lucifer added.

This made Angelica's lips become a thin line. "Just give me a minute to bundle up," she told Sammy resolutely. "I think a motorcycle ride would be fun!"

"All right, babe," Sammy told her, a grin on his lips. "I'll be out front starting it up!"

He left, chuckling loudly and when Angelica came downstairs, she was bundled up pretty well in a jacket, boots, gloves, and a hat, but Lucifer put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Have you lost your mind?" He cried. "Do you know how cold it is? You shouldn't be going out there in your condition, especially jusst to spite me."

"Oh, it's not just to spite you," Angelica told him. "Sammy just asked me to do something really normal and I have to encourage it! I won't freeze, I promise. Bye now!"

Lucifer let out a groan and watched as she strode off, wincing at the sound of the motorcycle revving up.

"Was that a motorcycle I heard?" Ellie asked.

"Yes," Lucifer sighed. "Sammy's. Angelica's riding with him. Don't you think it's unwise?"

"Well, I know it's not something I would personally do," Ellie said. "But I'm sure she won't let herself freeze."

"I hope not," Lucifer sighed. "Maybe we should get in the car and follow her in case something bad happens."

"No," Ellie sighed. "I don't think that's a good idea at all. Is she doing this partly because you told her not to?"

"Yes," Lucifer nodded.

"Well, there you go," Ellie replied. "We'll stay out of it and let them handle it themselves. It's really the best thing."

"Fine, but if she freezes and something happens to the baby, I..."

"It won't," Ellie insisted, trying to lead him away from the door. "No matter how much Sammy has changed, I don't think he'd let anything bad happen to her or his child."

* * *

Meanwhile, they were only a few minutes into the ride when the wind began to pick up, hitting Angelica so hard in the face that she could barely breathe. Then the snow began falling in earnest and covering Angelica's coat. She clutched Sammy tighter in an effort to keep warm as she realized that maybe she shouldn't have come out after all.

"I-" She spoke through chattering teeth. "Sammy, I'm very cold! Can we...can we go someplace warm? Please?"

Sammy wasn't bothered and could barely hear her words, but he could feel her shivers since they were pulled together so close. He pulled off to the side of the road, stopped the motorcycle, got off, and looked at her.

"You...you're shivering so much!" He cried. "You're so cold! We have to get you inside! If you're out here any longer, something bad could happen to you and the baby and we don't want that."

"Thank you for saying me first," Angelica whispered. "It's nice to know you don't only care about the baby."

"Of course not!" Sammy replied and zapped her to his fishing cabin, which had been expanded and spruced up so that it was much more than the glorified shack it had been before. "I'll start a fire and then we can run you a nice warm bath, okay?"

"Okay," a dazed Angelica replied as she let him pilot her to the bathroom and turn the water on.

"I ask this out of pure concern," Sammy told her. "Do you need me to help undress you to get in the bath? Or are you warming up enough that you can do it yourself? If you think you'll be okay, I'll leave you alone and go make cocoa and soup."

"I, um..." Her fingers fumbled as she tried to get them around the buttons of her sweater. "Help me..."

"Well, that answers that," Sammy said and deftly undid her buttons and got her out of her clothes and into the tub. "I think we got you inside just in time. I wouldn't want you to end up like Frozen Charlotte."

"What's that?" Angelica asked.

"Oh, it's...it's a song about this woman who was going to a ball with her fiance on a cold winter night," Sammy said, his elbows on the edge of the tub as he lathered up a wash cloth and scrubbed Angie gently. "Her mother told her to wear lots of layers so she wouldn't freeze on the sleigh ride over, but she didn't want to cover her pretty new ball gown and refused and by the time they reached the ball, they discovered she had frozen to death."

"That's a horrible story!" Angelica cried. "Where would you hear an awful thing like that?"

"From Grandma Selina," Sammy replied. "She's full of all sorts of wonderfully morbid things."

"Oh, well that figures," Angie nodded. "I should have known that's where you heard it from!"

"Are you all right now?" Sammy asked. "You seem warmer already."

"Yes, I can manage the rest of the way," Angelica nodded. "Thanks for the help...and thanks for looking out for me."

"I may have changed, but I'm always gonna look out for what's mine," Sammy said firmly and gave her a kiss before standing up. "Do you want soup and cocoa or just one or the other...?"

"Both, please!" Angie told him. Even though part of her resented his possessive attitude, another part kind of liked it. "Thank you!"

After she had warmed up in the bath and was sitting by the lit fireplace in a bathrobe with a cup of cocoa in her hand, she realized that it might be a good idea to call her parents and tell them that she was all right.

"Sammy? I can get reception here, right?" She called.

"Well, of course!" Sammy replied from the kitchen. "What sort of an idiot do you think I'd have to be to set up a place with no cell service?"

"No need to be snippy, I just thought I would ask because I want to call my parents and tell them I'm all right," Angie informed him. "That's all." She didn't listen for his reply, but went ahead and made the call home, knowing that if it was her father who answered, she would get an earful.

"It's good to know you're safe," he said after she gave an irritated 'Hello'. "Now you come home. You're lucky you survived the cold weather once. Don't go tempting face again."

"No, I think I'll stay with Sammy," Angelica replied. "He's been much better. I feel safe enough thank you."

"Well, you're an adult," Lucifer told her, the tight control in his voice very obvious. "I'm sure you know what you're doing."

"I do!" Angelica shot back. "Tell Mom I'm all right and goodbye!"

"Well, that was some very loud and angry shouting," Sammy grinned as Angie whipped around. He was leaning against the doorfame and had a very smug expression. "Your dad didn't like that you went out with me, right? Probably thinks I'm all shifty!"

"Yeah, but he's wrong!" Angelica got out. "You've...you've changed but it's okay. I can manage. He can't tell me what to do." She paused. "Oh, I left...did I leave my purse on your motorcycle? I should go out and get it!"

But when she tried to open the doors to get out, she discovered they were locked.

"What in the hell?" She asked. "What's going on?"

"I thought we could have some alone time," Sammy told her and then came back with handcuffs in one hand and a whip in the other. "I thought that since I did all that warm fuzzy stuff for you, you could have a little fun with me!"

"Oh, you're...you're so bad!" Angie cried. "You lulled me into a false sense of security just so I would stay with you and you could be all sneaky and horrible. I feel so taken advantage of!"

"Oh, come on," he urged, picking her up and carrying her away from the door. "I know you're pregnant so it's hardly gonna hurt at all. It'll just be good pain, I promise. Like when I let you beat the crap out of me that one time." He grinned. "Come on, please?" He dropped the whip and handcuffs and came toward her, his eyes big as he pulled her close against him and kissed her lips and neck. "Please? Please? Please?"

"Are you telling me you won't do it if I say 'No'?" Angie asked.

"Oh, we're still gonna do it," Sammy replied and picked her up to take her to his bedroom. "I was just trying to be polite first. He set her down and undid her robe, then cuffed her to the bed and slid off her panties.

"I'm a little hungry," he said as he loomed over her, then ran a finger down her neck. "I haven't eaten all day and you look so tasty..."

Angelica let out a whimper, although in spite of that, there was a definitely warm tingly feeling between her legs. "Oh, bite me!" She whispered.

"Just what I was planning on doing," he grinned, showing fangs and vein-y eyes before nibbling her neck and then giving a gentle but definite bite and drawing her blood out as he rubbed her.

"Oh, oh...damn!" Angie cried. She knew she shouldn't like this. She knew it was bad and awful. But it was also so _good_! Then she noticed his free hand nearby and wished that her own hands weren't cuffed over her head so she could have a nibble of her own on his wrist.

Then he buried himself inside her over and over. "Yes, yes, yes!" She cried, laughter escaping her lips.

Then she climaxed and as he rolled off of her and undid the cuffs and they lay on the bed in silence trying to catch their breaths, the remorse overtook her.

"Once we're done, you wanna take a turn?" Sammy grinned and ran his hands over her stomach and breasts. "I'll let you spank me as hard as you want. It might do you some good. I think you'll like it!"

"Yeah, and that's the problem!" Angelica cried, getting up and zapping on clothes. "Why can't you understand that I don't want to like it! It's not who I am! And if you can't accept that, which you obviously can't, it means the only one of us you're gonna see is our kid...although hopefully your parents will have more access to him than you will."

"Oh, you don't want to leave forever," Sammy grinned and got out of bed. "You're gonna miss _this_ too much!" He kissed her deeply and she felt herself kissing back until she realized that his hand was making its way up her skirt. Then she gave him a slap and pulled away. "It's worth it," she said and spun on her heel. "I won't miss it one bit if it saves my dignity! Goodbye!"

"How are you gonna get home?" Sammy called.

"I'll use magic," Angelica called. "You don't need to be involved anymore!"

* * *

"Okay," Roxie said as she came out to Willie the following morning. "Smiley face pancakes and juice. And I brought you an apple too because balanced breakfasts are good."

Willie frowned down at his juice. "But I wanted coffee like Cassidy and Noah have!"

"You wouldn't like it," Roxie told him. "It's for big people. But the pancakes are wonderful. My Vince really knows how to cook!" She paused. "What are you doing up so early anyway?"

"Cassidy was crying," Willie told her. "About my mommy and daddy. And I was sad so I left."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," she told him.

"Thank you," Willie told her. "I'm glad I have Cassidy to look out for me."

* * *

And Cassidy was glad she had Noah to look out for her. She was in bed with Noah and sobbing even harder now that Willie was gone.

"Rose was my best friend!" She sobbed. "She did so much for me after what happened with me and you know who! She died and I wasn't even there! I was one of the few people she let call her by her middle name or her first name and I let her down! She was probably terrified as she died!"

"I'll get justice for her!" Noah swore. "Don't worry, they'll pay!"

"But how?" Cassidy sniffled. "The killers were probably supernatural!"

"Supernatural creatures can die too," Noah assured her. "We just have to figure out the way to do it." He paused. "Now that I've been there, would you tell me what that place is?"

"Oh, it's just...it's a place where people who've been...forgotten, you know, by family and friends and just...the world...can go and have a place to be in peace," Cassidy shrugged. "I mean, that reputation has probably been destroyed because of my friends' murders, but that was the original intent of it anyway."

"I think it should stay just the way it was," Noah said. "I want to help."

Meanwhile, Steve strode into the bar area and Roxie didn't bat an eye. "Hi," She told him. "What can I get for you? A beer?"

"No, thanks, it's a bit early in the day," Steve replied and then sat down on a stool next to Willie. "I'll have what this young man is having, but in a bigger glass."

Roxie nodded. "One orange juice coming right up. It might take a bit though cause he got the last of what was in the most accessible carton so I'll have to go downstairs and get another one."

"No problem," Steve smiled at her. "Take your time."

It was while Roxie was gone that Steve looked at Willie. "I'm awfully sorry about your parents," he said. "But things will get better, I promise."

Willie stared at the man with the calm blue eyes and nodded. "Thank you," he said and then went back to his pancakes. "I'm Willie. What's your name?"

"You can call me Steve," Steve replied. They began to talk until Noah came downstairs in just his pajama bottoms and Steve, without turning, said, "Do you always come downstairs into public areas half dressed?"

"Well, of course not!" Noah told him. "But we're not open yet officially so I didn't think there was a problem. What are you doing here, Grandpa?"

"I just came to visit and talk with young Willie here while I waited for Roxanne to get me some juice," Steve explained. "She had to go and get a new carton."

"Willie, would you go help Roxie look for juice, please?" Noah asked him. "I have to talk with Steve here."

"Okay," Willie nodded and hopped off the stool.

When he was out of sight, Noah heaved a sigh, sat down, and peered at his grandfather. "So what is it that you want?" He asked warily. "What are you here to yell at me about now?"

"Nothing," Steve said. "But would you at least put on a shirt and some socks before we talk?"

"No," Noah said firmly. "I will not. Talk to me like this or don't talk to me at all."

Steve heaved a sigh and they began to chat about what had happened with the community until a sleepy Cassidy made her way down the stairs.

"So this is where you were, Noah!" She said, stifling a yawn. "You were gone for such a long time that I knew you couldn't have just run to the bathroom like you said!"

"Well, I was going to the bathroom and then I found my grandfather here talking to Willie and then he and I got to talking and...sorry for worrying you," Noah told her.

Cassidy tried to kiss him but he leaned back and mouthed, 'Not in front of him' while pointing at Steve.

"Who is your lovely friend?" Steve asked. "Is this Cassidy?"

"Why yes!" Cassidy smiled.

"Noah said you were pretty but that's an understatement," Steve grinned. "So nice to finally meet the person who has turned things around for my grandson in such a positive way. But I see that I'm in the way of you children, so I'll just get a table in another place while I wait for my drink and not be a bother, all right? Have a lovely day."

He gave them a smile and went to sit alone at a booth for a few minutes, drank his juice, and left.

"That's your grandfather?" Cassidy grinned. "He seems so nice."

"Don't be fooled!" Noah told her. "He can put up a good front and be really nice, but sometimes...sometimes it seems he's got a real God complex, you know? Which is not surprising, seeing as how that's exactly who he is!"

"You're kidding, right?" Cassidy laughed. "You can't be serious that that nice old guy is God?"

"Oh, I wish he was joking," Noah told her. "But I'm not. He likes you though."

"Is that good or bad?" Cassidy asked.

"It depends," Noah replied. "It can really go either way. Just ask my sister, Angelica."

They sat in silence and then Cassidy said, "I don't think I'll turn out like Angelica. What does it matter if your grandfather likes me? it's not like I'm ever gonna be part of your family long term! What we have is a money thing! It's not real!" She gave him a smile that almost made him weak in the knees.

"Right," he nodded and then cleared his throat. "It's not real. It's just a money thing. Everything we do is that. I help your community as part of our deal...not because I care about you any other way or you care about me any other way."

"Right," Cassidy nodded. "You know, I could really use a coffee right now."

"Me too," Noah replied. "Sugar?"

"Yes," Cassidy nodded and watched him bustle around looking for the coffee pot. "Lots and lots of sugar."


	60. The Day Before The Wedding

The day before the wedding, Angelica woke up and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw snow, real, white, fluffy snow, fallling falling from the sky.

"Thanks Grandpa," she whispered and gave a salute to the thin air. She was still kind of mad at him about Sammy, but this made her forgive him a little.

As she got dressed, her phone rang. She saw who was calling, scoffed, and hung up on him. "I have to to get a new number!" She whispered to herself. "So Sammy can't call me!"

But when he called again, she figured it would be useless to ignore him, so she snapped, "What?"

"You've been terrible about inviting me to be your escort for your grandparents' wedding," he said smoothly. "I'm coming whether you like it or not, even though it's last minute!"

"You better dress nice then!" Angelica snapped. "You wear those torn jeans and I'm going to have them throw you out!"

"Oh, I'll look so good you'll wanna rip the tux off me and have sex with me in the coat closet!" Sammy promised.

"I don't think that will happen," Angelica said, flushing. "I'll have better things to think about than having sex with you!"

"Yeah, sure," Sammy nodded. "Whatever."

Ellie scoffed and turned off her phone, still hearing his laughter on the other end of the line. Not long after, Junior called.

"We only need to distract your grandmother for one more day!" He told her. "You think you can do it?"

"I think I can," Angelica told him, her voice full of confidence. "And I have everyone else in the house helping too. Dad's surprisingly into it."

"Oh, that's not a surprise," Junior told her. "He's been pushing out ideas since the beginning. What we would have had if I wouldn't have had you be in charge, you don't want to know."

"I think I can guess though," Angelica told him. "So yeah, we'll keep an eye out for Grandma, don't worry."

"Thanks!" Junior said. "I have some other important things I need to get done before the wedding so that's a really big help." He paused. "Oh, and I'm coming by in a few minutes but it's nothing you need to worry about. Are Lexie and Emma home?"

"Yeah," Angelica replied. "I think they are. You gonna try and talk to them?"

"Yes," Junior told her. "I'm gonna give it one last shot."

"Good luck," Angelica said. "I hope it works out for you."

"Yeah," Junior heaved a big sigh. "Me too."

* * *

With Ellie, Angelica, and the others promising to keep Sarah out of the loop until the right moment, Junior set about tying up loose ends. He made his way to Emma's room at the mansion after looking things over with Angelica and knocked. If he was going to make peace with them before all this, it would be best to start with Emma cause she was slightly less emotionally volatile than her sister.

"Hello, Father," she said. "What do you want?"

"I'd like to talk to you and your sister if you don't mind," Sean told her. "Is Lexie here?"

"Yes," Emma sighed. "Are you not going to go away until we talk to you?"

"No, I'm not," Sean said firmly. "I realize that you have every right to be angry but... don't you think it would be better if we moved on from this?"

Emma rolled her eyes and went to get Lexie. They both sat on the bed, reading magazines and openly ignoring Junior as he tried to talk to them. Finally, he stopped talking and stepped back.

"All right," he sighed. "I get it. I messed up, and you two don't want anything to do with me. I...I won't bother you any more. Message received loud and clear. I wanted to show you both that I still wanted you in my life, but that's not what you want and I respect that."

Emma and Lexie sighed and put their magazines down.

"Wait," Lexie cried. "Maybe...maybe we were a bit...harsh. You've tried and I guess we haven't really so...sorry."

"Yeah," Emma agreed. "Sorry." She paused. "To make it up to you, is there anything we can do that Angelica and Ellie aren't covering?"

"Well, there could be one thing," Junior told her. "But...you might not want to do it and I understand if you don't."

"At least tell us what it is first and then we'll decide if we don't want to do it," Lexie said. "Come on, shoot!"

"I, well..." Junior looked around the room and then back at the girls. "It would be nice to have someone watch the other twins tomorrow. I know you two have issues with them, but...would you be willing to help with that?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded. "Okay, we'll do that! Just tell us when we need to come get them. I hear Uncle Lucifer and Ellie got them cute little outfits to wear, too."

"I bet they did," Junior smiled. "Lucifer _would_ know where to get little baby-sized fancy dresses and tuxes."

"Yeah, he said that was a must!" Emma nodded. "They spent a whole day looking!" She paused. "And we got our dresses too. Michael didn't want to be matchy at first but I convinced him."

"Gabriel did!" Lexie grinned widely. "I never have to convince him of anything!"

"You two really like those guys, don't you?" Junior asked.

"Well," Emma backpedaled as Lexie nodded. "Michael's not so bad, I guess. He's okay. It's better than being lonely."

"All right," Junior played along. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy for you." He got one last hug out of each of them and then went to check with Lucifer and see if there were any other big details that still needed deciding on, even though he was pretty sure there was not a single thing they hadn't gone over at least once. But he wanted it to be perfect so if he had to look over things a thousand times, that's what he would do.

* * *

"Oh, dear, oh, no, oh, geez!" Ellie cried, speeding toward Lucifer not long after telling her father goodbye. She had her hands on her belly so he immediately began to panic.

"All right," he said. "It's early but we need to get to the hospital now, so chop, chop! No time to waste!"

"No, no!" Ellie cried. "I'm fine! No need for the hospital. But we _do_ have to hurry and hide all this stuff. Mom wants to come over..." She leaned closer to Lucifer and whispered. "She's a bit nervous about Daddy not wanting to marry her."

"You...you mean she's coming _here?"_ Lucifer's eyes widened as he gestured at all the people holding flowers and decorations and stuff. "She can't come here with the house like this! It'll ruin everything!"

"We'll just have to keep her away from it all," Ellie said. "I'll meet the car and sneak her in the back so she won't see anything."

"Do you need help?" Lucifer questioned. "Should I get Dexter or Toni?"

"No, I'll go get Angelica," Ellie told him. "I'm sure that between the two of us we can get it worked out."

They got outside just in time to meet Sarah's car. She parked rather erratically and when she got out, they saw she was crying. "I don't know why he doesn't want to marry me," She sobbed. "But I suppose...I suppose that even if I never get to wear a white dress and say 'I do', it doesn't matter, cause we're still together and we still love each other, right?"

"Right," Angelica nodded. "You and Grandpa love each other and whether you're officially married or not, that's not gonna change."

"You think so?" Sarah sniffled, wiped her nose, and looked at Ellie. "Do you agree with her, Ellie Bean?"

"Of course," Ellie nodded and she and Angelica got Sarah in the house, positioning her so that her eyes were on the floor, and every time she tried to look up, they would move her head back to the floor.

"What are you doing?" She whispered. "Have you all gone crazy?"

"No, what would make you say that?" Ellie questioned.

"Why do I have to keep looking at the floor?" Sarah cried. "It's making my neck hurt! My head keeps bobbing up and down like a chicken!"

"It's the Christmas decorations!" Angelica explained. "We're getting them up and we don't want outsiders to see them until it's all done."

"Oh, well you could have just said that," Sarah said.

"I know," Ellie nodded. "Sorry. You want to see some other decorating that I'm working on?" She zapped the three of them to one of the little used rooms that was becoming a nursery.

"Oh, this is cute!" Sarah said as she looked around at the blue walls and stuffed animals. "Is this gonna be your son's room?"

"Yeah," Ellie nodded. "It's just started, but that sure is what it's going to be." She paused. "Do you...do you have any ideas? I would love to hear them if you do. And after you tell me thoughts for the boy's room, can you look at the girl's room too?"

"Sure," Sarah nodded, making Angelica and Ellie breathe a sigh of relief because Sarah's attention was distracted and she was no longer moping and crying about Junior. Hopefully that mood would continue to last for one more day. If she could just hang on until tomorrow, she would have the best day of her life.

As Sarah and Angelica walked around the room and talked, Ellie got a text from Lucifer. It read: **Everything good? Can we all get back to work now?**

 **We're having Mom give advice about the twins' nurseries,** Ellie texted back. **Feel free to get back to work. Mom's not going anywhere for a while.**

 **Thank Dad,** Lucifer texted back. **Thank Dad.**

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Underground, Cassidy was making plans for how she would occupy herself and Willie while Noah was at his grandparents' wedding. "I suppose we could go to a movie," she said. "Willie would you like that?"

"Sure," Willie nodded.

"Oh, don't be silly!" Noah told her. "You're coming to the wedding too! And Willie can come if he wants. There's gonna be chocolate cake."

"Oh, chocolate cake!" Willie cried, his eyes lighting up. "Did you hear that, Cassidy? There's gonna be cake! Can we go, please?"

There was a silence and Cassidy cleared her throat. "Why don't you go downstairs and play pool with Vince while I talk to Noah about this in private, okay?"

"All right," Willie sighed and rolled his eyes. "But you better say 'Yes'. If I miss out on chocolate cake, I'm gonna be so mad at you!"

He stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind him, making Noah smile. "Come on," he told Cassidy with a grin. "Why's it so hard to do what the kid wants?"

"Well, I don't know!" Cassidy cried. "If I went with you to your grandparents' wedding, would it be like a date or something? Cause you know that's not part of our thing!"

"It wouldn't be a date!" Noah quickly assured her. "We'd just be going for Willie's sake and I'd pay you, of course."

"Well, okay, but I don't have anything to wear to an affair like that," Cassidy continued. "And neither does Willie!"

"Noah shrugged. "We can go shopping! I'll pay for that too!" He reached forward to play with some of her blonde hair that had fallen into her face. "We should get you something red. You would look good in red. Maybe sparkles too."

"Oh, no," Cassidy shook her head. "I'm not wearing sparkles!"

"Not even something like...this?" Noah asked, producing a diamond necklace from his pocket and handing her a check with the amount of money he would pay her to go to the wedding with him.

Cassidy's jaw dropped and she reached for it and got a good look at the amount he was gonna pay her, not surprised he already had it in his pocket for her. "It's so pretty," she breathed. "I want it...even more than the money..."

Noah chuckled and put it around her neck. "Well, now you have no choice but to come with me to get something that will match, right?"

"Right, I guess," Cassidy sighed. "But I'm giving this back after. It wouldn't be right to keep it. The necklace, I mean. I'm totally keeping the money."

"Right," Noah whispered in her ear and then nibbled on her earlobe, turning her onto her back and undressing her and then himself so he bury himself inside her over and over while she wore nothing but the necklace and moaned his name. "It's not right to keep the necklace, but we're all about the money, aren't we?"

* * *

"Steve!" Rebecca exclaimed and let him in. "I wondered when I would be seeing you."

"Yes, well...your mother said she needed time, and I promised I would give it to her," Steve replied. "But something came in the mail and I thought she should know about it."

"Oh?" Rebecca grinned. "What is it?"

"An invitation to Eleanor's parents' wedding," Steve told her. "Gwen and I have been invited as a couple, and given that we're on a bit of a haitus right now, I want her to have the chance to make a decision what to do about it. Is she home?"

"She is," Rebecca nodded. "Please come in and have a seat and I will get her for you. Can I get you a drink or some food?"

"Thank you, dear, but no," Steve smiled at her. "I don't expect to be here very long, so I don't want it to seem like I'm settling in."

"All right, whatever works for you," Rebecca told him. "I'll be just a minute." She ran upstairs and toward her mother's room, but was met by Gwen as she passed the stairway.

"Was that Steve I heard?" Gwen asked her daughter. "Is he here? Did you let him in?"

"Yeah," Rebecca nodded. "I really think you should talk to him."

"You don't have to tell me that," Gwen said. "I've...that's what's been on my mind for a while now. Where did you leave him? Living room?"

"Yes," Rebecca nodded. "Go to him now!"

Gwen gave her a smile and walked with a measured pace so that she wouldn't seem too eager.

"Hi," she said when she saw Steve and he rose from the sofa. "Rebecca said you wanted to talk to me."

"I did," Steve said and handed her the invitation. "It seems like we've been invited to a wedding as a couple and I wanted to be sure you were okay with that."

"Oh, well, of course," Gwen nodded and looked the invite over. "Although I have to say I'm surprised that Junior and Sarah are letting you anywhere near their festivities considering that they took so long to happen thanks to you."

"Those two had a lot of growing up to do," Steve said. "They weren't ready when Eleanor was born."

"And it wouldn't have had anything to do with the fact that if they had been together to make a united front, it would have been that much harder to get Lucifer with Ellie as soon as you would have liked, would it?" Gwen asked slyly. "I know what you were thinking, Steve."

"That relationship has done them both a world of good!" Steve cried. "It's not just about what's good for my son...although I can't deny that was part of why I did what I did. It all worked out, as we know though, so why quibble about it?"

"I just think you're very lucky," Gwen told him.

"I don't need luck," Steve told her and pulled her close to him, getting a little bolder this time, moving his hands down her body and kissing her soundly before speaking again in a whisper while locking his eyes with hers. "My goodness I have missed you."

"I've missed you too," Gwen murmured. "And I think...I think I'm finally ready to talk about...things."

"Good, because I've been wanting to explain them," Steve told her. "Go ahead and ask me anything."

"Well, for one thing, is it true?" Gwen asked. "Am I who and what Charlotte says I am?"

"Considering how much my wife disliked her sister and how she would most definitely not go out of her way to be around her, I would say that if that is who she says you are, it's not a lie, it's the truth. And you...you haven't changed, now that I look at you," Steve chuckled. "It's a shame I can't just pull out a picture from the beginning of time and give you proof."

"Why does she hate me?" Gwen asked. "What did I do?"

"In the beginning, it was the three of us," Steve told her. "You, me, and your sister. She wanted me, but I loved you, and when I chose you and not her, she became spiteful and when you and I were supposed to marry, you disappeared. She told me that you'd changed your mind about us that she would be happy to step in."

"You...you didn't believe her, did you?"

"No, and I...I told her to give me time to look for you and if I didn't find you after I went to all ends of the Earth, then I would agree to settle down with her."

"And that's what happened," Gwen sighed. "Whatever she did, it must've hidden me well."

Steve nodded. "She has the power to stop me from seeing things that she doesn't want me to see. That's why, although I know everything, I didn't know about you, at least not for certain, until my wife herself identified you."

"Are you...are you glad you found me again?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, yes," Steve nodded and pulled her to him in a tight hug, mussing her neatly set blonde hair. "If you could only just remember, you'd know that you wouldn't need to ask such a question."

"I want to remember," Gwen assured him. "I don't even know what my name was." She paused. "Did I even _have_ a name? I mean, I know the three of us probably didn't just stand around and yell 'Hey you' every time we wanted each other's attention, did we?"

"Iris," he said, raising her chin up. "You went by Iris. Or a name that means the same as Iris does now. You wanted to be in charge of all the light and pretty things."

Gwen scoffed when she heard this. "Oh, you're making that up! I can't imagine that at all!"

"Well, you're not the same as you used to be," Steve reminded her. "You've led a life that's hardened you when that was not how things were before."

Gwen sighed. "I...I think that's enough reminiscing about the past for today. Do you have any idea what you're going to wear to the wedding? I don't want us to clash."

"Well, why don't we go up to your room and you can show me what sorts of things you have to wear?" Steve suggested. "I'll follow your lead."

They did that and after some back and forth, they both decided to wear navy blue suits.

"You know," Gwen remarked as she helped Steve tie his tie and then stepped back to smooth her own skirt as they both inspected themselves in the mirror. "We look good."

"We do," Steve nodded. "That's...that's really a good color on you. Always has been. Goes with your beautiful eyes. Why do you think the skies and the oceans are the color that they are?"

"Oh, stop," Gwen flushed. "We said we weren't gonna talk about that anymore."

"Sorry," he said, taking her hand and kissing it. "You'll have to forgive me but I just couldn't help myself."

 **A/N: This is the first of a few chapters that will be a Christmas present for my friend Vero. You're awesome sweetie and thanks for all your help with my crazy stories. Love you, sweetie! :)))**


	61. All I Want For Christmas Is You

Junior was talking on the phone with Lucifer the evening before it about last minute wedding details (mainly if the carriages and horses would be there on time and if there was anyone else he needed to get hold of about whether or not they were coming) when Sarah came into the room and glared at him. "Gotta go," he whispered and quickly hung up.

"You get time off from the hospital for Christmas, right?" Sarah asked when she was sure she had his full attention.

"Yes," He nodded and took her in his arms. "Of course I do. I can't wait to see the look on your face when you get your present."

"Well, as you know, the present I want more than anything is to be married to you," Sarah told him. "So since you'll be free for the holiday, we can probably find someone to marry us then. It will only take a few minutes. It's perfect!"

"No, can't do that," Junior gave a little grin. "Both you and I will probably be too busy with something."

"Oh, all right, that's it!" Sarah cried impatiently and gave him a swift kick in the shin. "If you don't want to marry me, all you have to do is say so. You don't have to keep dodging the question and making the same stupid, vague excuses over and over again."

The pain in his shin (and his face as he hit the floor) almost made him want to blurt out the truth. But he held firm.

"One more day," he told himself before popping over to Lucifer and Ellie's for a drink. "Just one more day and then I won't have to keep this from her anymore."

"You look like you could use a stiff drink," Lucifer remarked when he found his father-in-law hobbling toward his office. "And why are you walking like that?"

"Cause Sarah kicked me!" Junior exclaimed. "I am so glad that the wedding is tomorrow cause I'm doing a really bad job of hiding it and I don't think she'll put up with my less than wonderful job of subterfuge much longer!"

"My goodness she actually _kicked_ you?" Lucifer asked. "Just what excuses have you been making?"

"I have just been assuring her that at some point we will get married," Junior shrugged. "I thought that would be enough, but apparently not. Then she said just now that we should run off to a court house while I had time off for the holiday and do it, and when I said we'd be too busy doing something else, that's when she kicked me and told me to stop making up excuses and just admit that I didn't want to marry her. I almost told her everything right then, but stopped just in time."

"As you know, I'm not a big fan of lying so I guess I'm proud in a way that subterfuge is not your best thing, but you want me to help you smooth things over?" Lucifer asked.

"I don't know if you can do that without telling her the truth," Junior sighed. "She's that mad."

"I can," Lucifer assured him and gave him a pat on the back. "Just zap us back to your house and trust me. You think you can do that?"

"Well, whatever can be done to fix this, I'll take," Junior said. "Thank you."

* * *

His zap landed them in his and Sarah's bedroom, where she was just tucking herself in to bed. "I don't want to talk anymore," She said when she saw him. "You already ruined my Christmas, so let's just go to sleep and move on with our lives." Then she noticed Lucifer. "What's he here for?"

"I am here to tell you that Sean did not ruin your Christmas," Lucifer told her.

"He says he isn't gonna go to the courthouse to marry me tomorrow so therefore my Christmas is ruined," Sarah said firmly. "No other way around that."

"Well, what if he was marrying you somewhere other than a courthouse?" Lucifer asked.

"What?" Sarah got out. "Would you care to explain more?"

"No, I would not," Lucifer replied. "I have to go now. Sean, would you kindly zap me home?"

"Of course," Junior nodded and zapped him away. "Goodbye!"

"What was he saying?" Sarah asked. "Tell me! What do you know that I don't?"

"I don't know what he's talking about," Junior replied. "You just keep being mad and go to sleep cause I'm not telling you anything else. There's nothing else to say."

"Fine," Sarah pouted. "You know, you really had me excited there for a minute."

"I know," Sean sighed. "I just...he said he would say something to you so you wouldn't be mad anymore."

"Oh, if that's not the most selfish..." Sarah glared. "Good night, Sean!" She hit her pillow several times before he turned off the light. "And Merry Christmas!"

* * *

Her grumpiness was forgotten when she was awakened quite suddenly the next morning by Angelica, Ellie, and Valerie, who ordered her to get out of bed and come with them.

"What...why?" She was only half awake and very confused. She turned to ask Junior what was going on, but he had disappeared.

"Just trust us," Valerie told her as they pushed her to the door, and then out toward the car. Once she was settled, Sarah spoke.

"I can't go anywhere! Sean seems to be gone! I can't just leave the twins alone! They're little babies!"

"They're being looked after by Emma and Lexie," Angelica assured her. "Grandpa brought them with him when he left this morning."

"Why did he leave?" A very confused Sarah kept repeating as they drove to the mansion. "Would someone please just tell me what's going on?"

"Just wait until we get to the mansion," Ellie told her mother. "Dad will explain everything and it will quickly become clear for you. You only have to be patient for a little longer."

* * *

"I...I don't understand what all this is for!" Sarah cried for the thousandth time as Ellie, Angelica, and Valerie hustled her toward Lucifer and Ellie's bedroom. She noticed all the Christmas decorations and thought it had something to do with that. Or not. Then she finally saw Sean.

"Oh, good, you got her here!" He said and gave Sarah a hug. "I bet you're very confused right now, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I'm only half awake, so that's to be expected." Sarah told him. "Whatever's going on, are you in on this?"

"Yes," Sean nodded. "And you will soon understand why I said everything I said before about us being married."

"Oh?" Sarah asked.

"And the coffee and pastries are out if you want to eat before...things happen," Sean continued. "Are you hungry?"

"Kinda," Sarah nodded as her stomach grumbled. So they went to the dining room and Ellie, Angelica, and Valerie left her and Junior alone.

"Will you just tell me what's going on?" She begged. "I know it's too early for a Christmas party!"

"You will find out after you finish your breakfast," Sean smiled. "I wanted to eat with you because this is the last time we'll be seeing each other for a while and I didn't want to miss it."

"Why won't we be seeing each other for a while?" Sarah asked.

"Cause it would be bad luck if we did," Sean smiled. "Now stop asking questions and eat, please."

"Only if you swear that I'm gonna find out what is going on soon," Sarah told him. "It's driving me crazy. I can't take it anymore!"

"You _will_ find out soon," Sean said, drinking his coffee and then kissing the top of her head. "Ellie, Valerie, and Angelica will come and get you after you're done eating and they will make sure you find out everything. I have to go now because I have a schedule myself today. See you later, beautiful."

"See you later," Sarah said, then gulped down her coffee and reached for a few more pastries, then called for the girls. "I'm ready!" She said. "I want to find out what's going on now!"

"All right," Ellie smiled. She and her daughters then led her mother to Lucifer and Ellie's bedroom, sat her down on the bed, and then Ellie plunked a portable DVD player in her lap and she watched Sean's face fill the screen. "Morning, sweetheart," he smiled at her. "You look lovely. If you've been unceremoniously dragged to Lucifer's with no explanation, don't worry. It's just..." He paused and took a deep breath, a few tears falling out of his eyes. "It's our wedding day today," he said. "You'll be mine and I'll be yours. I love you, Sarah..."

There was more on the recording, but Ellie quickly turned it off and held her mother as Sarah smiled and then began to cry.

"He's marrying me today!" Sarah got out when she could finally form words. "That's why he wouldn't go with me to the courthouse!"

"Yeah, and he wanted it to be a nice Christmas surprise for you," Ellie smiled. "That's why he wouldn't tell you either."

"He did this nice thing for me and I yelled at him and kicked him," Sarah sighed. "I'm such a terrible person!"

"Oh, don't beat yourself up about that," Valerie told her. "I'm sure he understands. You didn't know why he was stalling and he did a crappy job of holding you off. He's only got himself to blame."

"I suppose," Sarah sighed and took a deep breath. "Can we turn on the DVD player again? I think I'm calm enough to see the rest of the video now."

"All right," Ellie nodded and hugged her mother. "Here you go."

"...I love you, Sarah," Junior continued. "I know you've been more than patient waiting for us to get married all these years. And I also know that I'm a crappy liar and have done a terrible job of giving you reasons why you needed to wait. You kicking me last night was totally justified. I understand and I'm not mad at you. I just...I hope that everything I did today, with the help of all my cohorts who did much better with this surprise than me, is going to make up for all the years of waiting that you had to do. I can't wait to see you in your dress and say 'I do'. I know you'll be beautiful. Love you, sweetheart."

The DVD then ended and Sarah just kept shaking her head. "I just...I can't believe this. Everyone was in on this except for me?"

"Yep," Ellie nodded.

"And no one let anything slip," Sarah continued.

"Yeah, it was really quite impressive," Ellie said. "Cause you know that when you have a group so big it's hard to make everyone be on the same track at the same time."

"Actually Lucifer semi-blabbed last night but I was so confused that I still didn't get it," Sarah shrugged.

"That was lucky," Angelica told her. "Now, do you want to put on your dress now, or wait?"

"I get a dress too?" Sarah cried as Ellie went to open up the closet. "Oh, this is too much...I don't deserve it, I..."

"Ta-da!" Angelica proclaimed, revealing a ballgown wedding dress with long lace sleeves. It took her daughter and both her granddaughters to help her get it on and then Sarah did a twirl.

"Does that fit right?" Ellie asked. "If it's tight, I can adjust it a little." She held up her hands and sparks flew from her fingers and hit the floor.

"No, no," Sarah shook her head. "It's fine." She went to look at herself in the mirror and grinned wider. "Don't change a thing. It's wonderful..." She grinned. "I look like a princess!"

"Not entirely," Valerie said. "Not yet anyway. Sit down and let's do your hair."

"What? There's more?" Sarah asked. "Oh, my..."

"Okay," Valerie remarked as she began brushing Sarah's hair. "I apologize if this hurts, but sometimes bedhead is tough to deal with. I'll try to be gentle."

"It's okay," Sarah told her and tried not to wince. "I always have tangles. I'm used to it."

It took some time, but Valerie finally got Sarah's hair combed and put up just the way she wanted it.

"Time for me to get the tiara and veil now!" Angelica cried and bustled away. "I'll be back real quick!"

"I...I still can't believe all this is happening!" Sarah cried. "I know that I should, you know, feel it's the very least of what I deserve after waiting for so long, but...it still feels like _more_ than what I deserve. Like I told your dad, I would have been happy with just him and me at the courthouse. But this is like, a gazillion times better, though, so..." She smiled broadly.

"I'm so glad you're happy!" Ellie told her. "Yeah, Dad brought up the idea to Lucifer and me first and then we got Angelica involved and then it just kinda snowballed into a big thing from there. I tried to suggest at one point that you might want something a bit smaller, and that will come, but Lucifer said you deserved at least one big to-do, so...this is it."

"And your brother and sister are here?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Ellie assured her. "Don't worry about that. Lexie and Emma are looking after them."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sarah asked. "I mean, they have every reason to hate them. What if they get hurt?"

"They won't," Ellie promised. "Dad made peace with them before we put them on babysitting duty so all is good now. No one will want to kill anyone."

"All right," Sarah said and then went back to dreamily staring at her reflection as the tiara and veil were put in her hair. "Sounds good to me..."

* * *

Ellie was not wrong about Emma and Lexie not bearing any ill will toward the twins. Prior to their arrival, Lexie and Emma had decided that Emma would watch over Juliette and Lexie would watch Elliot.

It turned out to be a very prudent choice because one of their duties was to get the babies into their wedding clothes. Juliette was very docile and, like her mother, enjoyed getting dressed and having her little shoes put on. She didn't even cry while getting her hair brushed.

"There," Emma smiled and picked her up after putting the red bow in her hair. "You look so pretty." She picked her up and took her over to Michael. "She looks so pretty, doesn't she?"

"Oh, it's...she's fine," Michael replied. He didn't look at the toddler at all, but kept his eyes in Emma's legs that were very visible in hose under her red dress. "You did good." He then took Juliette out of Emma's arms and grabbed Emma, kissing her soundly. "You look much better though!"

"I knew you'd say that," Emma told him after they broke apart. "You don't look so bad yourself." She paused. "Your tie is a bit crooked though. Let me fix it."

He sighed and let her fix the red tie that went with the red suit jacket he wore. Once that was done, she picked up Juliette again and the two of them went to see if Lexie, who was dealing with a playful, squirming Elliot, needed help.

"No, we're fine," Lexie smiled. "Kid doesn't like wearing pants. I can appreciate that."

Elliot then let out a giggle and then took off across the room. However, since his pants were around his ankles, he quickly tripped and fell, bursting into tears as Lexie grabbed him.

"It's okay, little guy," she said. "This is exactly why you can't walk around with your pants around your ankles. It'll hurt you."

She pulled a candy cane out of her bag, unwrapped it, and while Elliot sucked on his treat, Gabriel and Lexie took advantage of his distraction to get him dressed the rest of the way in his little suit and tie.

"What do you think?" Lexie asked Emma. "Does he look as good as his sister?"

"Oh, yeah," Emma nodded. "Definitely."

There was a knock at the door and then Junior poked his head in. "Everything okay in here? Anyone need any help?"

"Nope, we're good," Lexie assured her father. "Elliot took a bit longer but I found his weak spot for candy canes and we got it done."

"Good," Junior smiled. "Thank you. I really appreciate all your help." He paused. "Would you take them into Sarah so that she can see them, please?"

"Sure," Emma nodded. "No problem."

"Thank you," Junior smiled. "See you later."

Once Junior was gone, Emma and Lexie did as their father asked and took the babies to see their mother. When Sarah saw them, she squealed loudly, smiled widely and took both of them into her lap, squeezing them hard.

"They're so cute! They're so cute! Oh, my gosh, they're so cute!" She cried. "You did so good! Thank you, both! I have such cute babies!"

She cooed over them for a bit longer and then reluctantly handed them back to Lexie and Emma. "Bye my cute babies!" She waved as both of them waved back over Lexie and Emma's shoulders. "See you later!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Junior was in his own rooms finishing getting dressed along with Noah and Vincent and Dexter and Lucifer. Once they were done, they went to Lucifer's office for one last toast before the wedding began, a perfect time, Junior decided, to get some things off his chest.

"I know we went to a lot of trouble and Sarah seemed okay this morning, but...what if she was just pretending?" He asked Lucifer. "What if she doesn't want to get married cause I put her through so much? You saw how mad she was before!"

"Just relax, would you?" Lucifer told him as he gulped down his drink and then Lucifer poured him a bigger one. "I am the Devil. I've done lots of bad things that should make your daughter hate me, but here we are, still married and expecting two more babies when we already have had four. I think your daughter gets that amazing patience and tolerance from your wife, so if I'm okay, I think _you'll_ be too. Just trust me on this, okay?"

"Okay," Junior took a deep breath. "You're right. The reason why she got so mad was because she wants to be with me and thought she was being denied the chance. I have nothing to worry about."

"No," Dexter shook his head. "Of course not. But I wouldn't drink any more if I were you."

"I agree, you don't want to be drunk when you go down the aisle," Lucifer told him.

"But _we_ can, right?" Noah asked and shook his empty glass.

"Oh, you can drink all you want," Lucifer told him. "Just think about how your date's gonna like it. You have a date, right?"

"Yeah," Noah nodded. "She's coming later. Or maybe she's here right now. I don't know exactly. She was gonna tell me when she decided."

"Oh, I can't wait to meet her," Lucifer replied. "Lucky us!"

"Yeah, lucky us," Vincent agreed. "I was beginning to think that she wasn't real and you were just making her up!"

"She's real," Noah assured him as Lucifer filled his glass again. "I promise."

* * *

"I can't believe you're making me and Dorian part of this silly thing you have going on with Angelica!" Selina huffed as she, Dorian, and Sammy made their way into Lucifer's house. "Why did you have to get us involved?"

"Because coming with someone who was invited is politer than crashing it and I want to at least try to emulate some gentlemanly behavior," Sammy replied, pausing and zapping on a suit and smoothing his hair before telling Dorian and Selina goodbye and going to Angelica, who had her back to him.

"I'm here," he proclaimed. "You can start pawing at me now!"

"Oh, I will not, you..." Angelica quickly turned around immediately stopped speaking as her eyes widened. He was wearing a suit. His hair was combed. That gray...damn he looked good in gray.

He laughed as she grabbed him by the lapels and pushed him against the closet door, breathing heavily.

"I knew it," he whispered, reaching down to unzip his pants. "I know it would get you hot to see me like this!"

He began to chuckle and that broke the spell. She let him go, mussed up his hair, and then started to walk away, but he pulled her back and kissed her soundly.

"Wow," she breathed. "You know, I was going to look for something in a nearby closet," she said. "You wanna...you wanna look for it with me?"

"Oh, yeah," Sammy breathed. "I would love to."

"We can only look for twenty minutes, though," Angelica said as Sammy pulled her to the closet. "That'll be okay, right?"

"Yeah," Sammy nodded and pulled her into the closet. "That's good enough...for now." He shut the closet door, made sure it was locked, and then pulled his pants and boxers down to his ankles as Angelica unbuttoned his shirt to run her fingers down his chest, pulled up her skirt and slipped off her panties, giggling as Sammy began nibbling on her neck, cupping her bottom, and burying himself inside her over and over again, finally stopping at the sound of a knock on the door.

"Angelica?" Valerie called. "Are you done screwing around in there? Dad's looking for you!"

"Don't speak," Angelica whispered. "Maybe if we're quiet, she'll go away."

"No, I won't!" Valerie called. "Get out here!"

Angelica sighed and put her underwear on. Sammy did too and left the closet as Valerie smirked.

"Don't say anything," Angelica told her.

"I have to," Valerie told her. "Your skirt is tucked into your panties. You might want to fix that."

"Oh," Angelica blushed and righted this. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Valerie told her.

* * *

What Lucifer needed Angelica for was to finally meet Cassidy like the rest of the family.

"It is so nice that you could finally join us," Lucifer told her. "We've heard so much about you!"

"Only good things I hope," Cassidy flushed. "I know I probably didn't have the best introduction, what with trying to rob your club and all. I'm sorry about that."

"Oh, it's fine," Ellie told her. "We know you didn't mean any harm. It's nice to see you and Noah getting along so well now. Maybe we'll be at your wedding some day!"

"Oh, wow!" Noah told her. "Just a minute, Mom! She's only here as my date cause I paid her. It's nothing more than that so don't make a big deal about it."

"Liar!" Valerie coughed.

Cassidy hit him. "Why do you have to be such an asshole to me in front of your family?" She whispered angrily. Then she turned back to Ellie and Lucifer. "Yeah, he paid me...but he didn't force me. I could have said 'No'. I Just wanted to meet all of you since he's been so difficult about letting me have a chance."

"It's nice to meet such a beautiful woman," Lucifer told her. "We're glad you could make it."

"Oh, I'm not lovely," Cassidy blushed. "I'm...I'm disfigured, I have a scar..." Her eyes widened as Lucifer showed her his face for a moment then.

"We all have our own individual looks here," He said. "You'll fit in just fine."

"I really want to fit in but I don't know if that's what Noah wants," Cassidy said and nudged him. "Sometimes he's nice and wants me around, but sometimes he's an ass and pushes me away!"

"I don't have to listen to this!" Noah declared. "I'm getting a drink!"

"Don't worry about his jerk behavior," Ellie whispered to Cassidy once Noah was gone. "He only acts that way because you're making his heart beat and making him feel things he's not sure he wants to feel. He really likes you, though."

"Are you sure?" Cassidy asked.

"I'm his mother," Ellie smiled and took her hand. "Believe me, he does."

"Yeah," Angelica concurred. "Some of us have trouble with our feelings and it gets even worse if we like someone and can't handle it."

There was a silence and then both Angelica and Valerie had to excuse themselves as a shout and a crash echoed, followed by more shouting.

"Damn," Valerie whispered. "Looks like Grandpa John and Freya showed up and now he and Grandpa Malachai are fighting!"

"Oh, crap!" Angelica said. 'This was exactly why Grandpa John was not invited! And thank Grandpa that Grandpa Matthew is waiting to walk Mom down the aisle and Grandma Christine is with him or we'd have _real_ trouble on our hands! And Grandma Mary and Liam don't fight at all, so that's good. They're just hanging out with Dad, I think."

"We have lots of Grandpas who cause lots of problems, don't we?" Valerie asked and quickly excused herself and Angelica to go break it up with Dexter as backup.

Thankfully, by the time they arrived, their wives had separated them and Freya and Helene promised to take both men out to their cars and calm them down.

"I know we weren't invited," Freya told Angelica apologetically. "But John promised me he would behave so we came anyway. Please don't let Sarah and Sean know what's going on. We don't want to ruin this day."

"No problem," Angelica told her, wanting the same thing. "Thanks to you both for getting this under control."

"You're welcome," Helene said and glared at her husband.

After that mess was cleared up, Lucifer's kids and their spouses (including Lauren, who was free because Lee and Lisa offered to have Lily Eleanor hang out with them and her parents) began circulating around the room and chatting with guests.

Angelica again thanked Steve for his help with the snow. He smiled and told her that, like with other things, he didn't like interfering, but in this case, he made the exception and was glad she was so happy.

"It seemed right, and I have to say, it makes for terrific atmosphere," he winked. "Will I see you and Sammy have a dance together later?"

"Maybe," she told him and put a hand on her stomach. "I'll see how I feel."

Steve then excused himself to go talk with Lucifer.

"What a charming affair, son," he told Lucifer. You and Angelica and the others really outdid yourselves."

"Well, thank you for noticing!" Lucifer told him. "Where's Gwen?"

"You are just about to have that question answered for you," Steve told him as everyone rushed to the mansion windows and looked out.

Gwen and Charlotte were tussling in the snow, their clothes sopping wet, their faces brused. It had started with a simple snowball fight, but when Gwen had tried to get her sister to give her her memories back, then it had gotten physical. Really, really physical.

"You are so lucky that rock you put in the last snowball did nothing to me!" Charlotte cried and pulled at Gwen's hair after knocking her face first into the soft white snow.

"Oh, it did too, I made you _bleed!_ " Gwen shouted. "That's good enough for me! In fact, have another rock! Have several!"

Charlotte let out a shriek and ran as she was pelted with several enchanted rocks.

"Run like the coward you are!" Gwen called. "And don't come back!"

With her sister gone, she then cleaned herself up and headed back inside to Steve as Lucifer tried to get the rest of the guests to remember why they were there.

"All right, everyone! I think it's as good a time as any to get into the carriages and go have this wedding, don't you? Dexter and Toni have lists of where everyone will go, please talk to and follow them. Thank you and thank you for being with us to share in this long-awaited day! Carry on!"

Everyone applauded and rushed to the horse-drawn carriages in as orderly a fashion as they could, which wasn't very.

"Geez, this is hard," Toni whispered to Dexter as they tried to keep people from stampeding. "Why did Adrian have to be Junior's best man? He could do this a lot better than me!"

"You're doing great," Dexter assured her. "Don't worry about it."

"Thanks," Toni smiled at him. "I needed that."

* * *

Meanwhile, Adrian was standing next to Sean in the gazebo and holding Juliette while Sean held Elliot, who was squirmier, trying to distract him by having him watch all the falling snow. "You doing okay?" Adrian asked his grandson. "Nervous?"

"I was, but not so much anymore," Sean replied. "I'm just amazed we pulled it off, though." He smiled. "I can't wait to see Sarah. I know she's gonna be so beautiful!"

"If you wanna cry, it's okay," Adrian told him. "I promise I won't laugh or anything."

"Good, because I just might," Junior confessed. He then smiled as he heard the click-clack of the carriage wheels. "Everyone's coming!" He said. "That means the wedding is starting soon!"

It seemed to take forever to get everyone in their seats, and Sean finally sucked in his breath, grabbing Adrian's hand and squeezing it hard as the grandest, goldest carriage brought up the rear and parked, and the music started. Valerie, Angelica, and their escorts, along with Leslie and Patrick (who was the other sibling Sarah was closest to, unlike the others, who were just in the audience) seemed to make their way down the aisle at a snail's pace and then, finally, he heard the words he'd been waiting for: "Will everyone stand for the bride?" As Sarah came forward with her arm linked in her father Matthew's, trying not to cry so she wouldn't smudge her make-up.

"It'll be okay, darlin," Matthew told her. "You can cry if you want. No one will be shocked. I bet Sean is crying too." They started out slowly, then he let out a cry as she gave his arm a tug, throwing a dignified pace to the wind, the music Vincent was playing speeding up to match her.

"Hi," she said when she reached Sean. "I hope I'm not late."

"No," Sean smiled and took her face in his hands after giving Elliot to a flustered Adrian. "You're right on time. You ready to do this?"

"I've been ready for years," Sarah smiled. "Are you?"

"Yeah," Sean nodded. "I can say with confidence that I really, truly am."


	62. More Than One New Beginning

They then each took a twin and then turned back to the pastor.

"We're ready," Sean told him. "Let's do this."

The pastor smiled. "All right." He stepped back and looked at the crowd. "This couple will be sharing their own vows because apparently nothing I can say is expressive enough."

Sean looked at Sarah and smiled. "There's so much to say," he said. "We had an interesting start...you were in love with another guy, and people told me not to be in love with you because we're related in a way, but I never cared. You were the one I wanted and that was it."

"I...I wasn't really all THAT in love with Finn," Sarah quickly corrected. "I just...You're a lotta guy, and you...you really made me feel things so I had to be sure I was ready."

"And when you were, I was a jerk and ran off," Junior told her. "I always wanted to marry you, but you know how I am. I have a plan of how things are going to go in my life and I don't work well with it being changed." He turned and held his hand out to Ellie.

"I know I should have stayed when this wonderful surprise showed up, but my first instinct was to do whatever I needed to do to make sure we were financially secure, and after I got that all worked out, then I could confidently return and be emotionally invested in our family. Cause really, that's what I wanted, more than anything." He pulled a smiling Ellie close against him and everyone in the audience went "Awww!"

"It's not...it's not all your fault," Sarah admitted at last. "As Ellie has pointed out several times over the years, I could have just as easily taken both of us to Europe instead of just expecting you to stay. I was as much a part of the problem as you were, I just didn't want to admit it cause I hate being wrong."

"It...it broke my heart when you decided to be with Josh," Junior continued. "So much in fact that I almost ran over and said I was ready to be with you."

"What stopped you?" Sarah questioned.

"Well, I thought you would think I was just doing it out of spite and I didn't want you to be unhappy that way, especially after all I'd put you through, so I thought that if Josh was the person who made you happy, I would just let you be cause it's what you deserved. You and Ellie both."

Just as she was about to respond, Sarah turned her head at just the right moment and noticed Hannah and Christopher striding into the back row, most likely trying not to be seen. Ellie had told Christopher in secret that he and Hannah were invited to come to the wedding, but given how Hannah felt about their mother, she would understand if they didn't.

And now, here they were.

"Before I...before I say my next thing, there's someone I want to get up here," Sarah said in a loud, clear voice. "My daughter Hannah, who just arrived. We've been having difficulties since Josh and I split up and I think this is just a good of a time as any to clear the air."

"No," Hannah shook her head and told Christopher in an angry whisper as he began pushing her toward the stage. "I can't do this!"

"This is the only family you've got since your dad disappeared," He reminded her. "I thought the whole reason you wanted to come was to make peace!"

"No, I came cause I was curious," Hannah corrected. "That's all. I didn't actually want to..." But then she found herself face to face with her mother. "Hi," she said. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's okay," Sarah told her. "You came at just the right time." She took a deep breath. "I know that lots of people's feelings got stomped over in order to make today happen, yours included. But I want you to know that your relationship with your father did mean something to me. My life was so much richer because I met him and had you, and I guess, in my excitement at getting back with Sean, I forgot about that. I don't want to, though, and I want you to either. I've missed you so much and I'm...I'm so touched you came here today. I hope this means we can have a new start."

"I think I want to give it a shot at least," Hannah agreed after a long silence. "If...if that's all right with you."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded and hugged her. "Of course it is!"

"And while we're on that subject," Sean continued, his eyes on Emma and Lexie, "I want my own daughters from my other relationship to know how much I value them and my relationship with their mother too. Where Josh gave Sarah the immediate love and companionship she so badly needed while I was gone, Maeve...Maeve helped me ease back into relationships after being on my own for so long. She was kind, she was loving, she was patient...and she didn't ask for too much. She let me do what I needed to do while being there for me and giving me two of the greatest gifts I've ever gotten and I'll never be able to repay her for that. She's not here now, but...I still have our two lovely, wonderful daughters to remind me of her every day, and that...it means so much."

"We love you too, Daddy!" Lexie cried as they both went to hug Junior.

When the hug was over, Sarah and Junior faced one another again and he took her hand as they both began to tear up.

"I know it took us a long time to get here," Sean said. "But you...you were so patient."

"I was not," Sarah sniffled. "And I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get mad at you and kick you when you made me this wonderful surprise but I just...the greatest fear I have, in my whole life, is being without you because I love you so much, and when you kept saying you wanted to put the wedding off, I thought you...I thought it meant you didn't want to marry me and I couldn't go through it again. I just wanted to be with the man I love so much, who's given me two more wonderful children and the best family I could ever ask for."

"Well, my subterfuge was clumsy at best," Junior smiled. "So I can see why you were mad. But I just...I wanted you to have the wedding you deserved. I hope this met your expectations."

"Oh, it didn't just meet them," Sarah smiled. "It...it exceeded them. I just...I don't know what else to say."

"How about 'I do'?" The pastor put in smoothly and then looked at Adrian and Ellie. "Do you two have the rings?"

"Yes," they both said. They handed them over, took the twins, and then the pastor said to Junior, "This seems like a ridiculous thing to ask after those vows, but do you take Sarah Selina Warren to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I sure do!" Junior smiled just as tears began streaming down Sarah's face.

"Sarah, do you take Sean to be your lawfully wedding husband, to have and to hold and all that as long as you both shall live?"

Sarah was crying so hard now that she could only nod. "I do..." She got out in a squeak when she realized at last that she would have to speak. Then, with rings on, after being officially pronounced man and wife, she fell into his arms and he held her as she cried and kept saying, "I'm so happy, I'm so happy..."

"I am too," he assured her. "You better believe that."

* * *

"That was such a beautiful wedding!" Sarah smiled and she and Junior made their way back into the mansion for the reception. She had taken several deep breaths and Angelica and Valerie had helped her re-do her makeup and now she just couldn't stop smiling. They each held onto one twin and as they entered the room, everyone applauded and a couple of seconds later, the twins smiled and applauded too.

"Yay for you two for behaving yourselves so well," Sarah told them. "Good job!"

"Cake!" Juliette cried, pointing at the large cake on the table. it was white frosted with red and green decorations.

"I hope you don't mind," Junior told Sarah as they approached it. "I thought that white frosting could make it more festive than chocolate. But the cake itself is chocolate cause I know you like that."

Sarah smiled. "That's fine," she said. "This is your wedding too. Not all of it should be what I want." Then her eyes widened as Juliette reached out and took a chunk of cake in her little fist and stuffed it in her mouth and then Junior struggled to grip Elliot as he tried to do the same, succeeding, but instead of eating the cake, shoved it in his sister's hair.

"What is it with our kids and cake?" Sarah asked.

"It's good," Ellie said with a smile as she came upon them and cuddled Juliette. "Isn't it, sweetie?"

Juliette smiled and hugged her, then.

"You want me to take her into the bathroom and clean her up?" Ellie asked her mother. "I'll do that."

"Thank you," Sarah nodded.

"How about Elliot and I come with you?" Junior suggested.

"Okay," Ellie nodded. "Sure."

As they made their way to the bathroom, Junior said, "How are you doing? Are you okay? You don't feel like you're gonna go into labor, do you?"

Ellie shook her head. "I know I'm big, but other than being hungry and having a backache, I don't feel like labor is imminent."

"Okay, but if anything happens, please let me know right away, all right?" Junior asked. "Promise?"

"Oh, it's your wedding, you shouldn't have to spend all of it worrying about the contents of my uterus," Ellie told him. "Go have fun!"

"Okay, I'll try," Junior swore, and then waited outside with Elliot as Ellie took Juliette into the bathroom, cleaned her up, and brought her back out.

"What do you say we go back to the party?" Ellie proposed.

"Sounds good to me," Junior grinned. "Your mother has probably fixed up the cake by now."

They all headed back to the party and as Junior had figured, the cake had been fixed after its assault by little baby hands.

"It's so beautiful," Ellie remarked. "Did Aunt Selina make it?"

"Who else would?" Junior smiled. He then left Ellie, who headed back to a hovering Lucifer, who offered her a chair and gave her a back rub, and went over to Sarah, who was talking with Selina near the punch.

"Beautiful cake," Junior commented. "Ellie and I were just talking about it."

"Thanks," Selina smiled. "Glad the kiddos seemed to like it too. Did you guys practice for your first dance or are you just gonna wing it?"

"Oh, we're gonna wing it," Junior smiled. "Since this was all supposed to be a secret, we didn't take lessons or anything."

"Good, good!" Selina smiled. "I have you tried the egg nog? It's my mom's special recipe!"

"No, but I will!" He started to go toward the egg nog table but Selina stopped him. "I'll get it for you," she said. "You sit." She headed over to the table where her mother and Angelica were talking.

"It was so nice of you to invite me," Amelia told Angelica. "It's so nice, considering that your Grandma Sarah is from a totally different family."

"We got invited so some of Sammy's relatives would keep an eye on him," Selina told her. "That was part of it."

"It was," Angelica admitted. "I thought he would be on his best behavior if he knew he had family around." She got a cup of egg nog out of the bowl with the green ladle, which meant it was the non-alcoholic version. "So glad there's some of this I can have."

"Oh, of course there is!" Amelia told her. "Selina and I both like it so you can bet we made a version that we could have at all times." She smiled. "Oh, and Andrew got another huge bag of penny candy for whenever you want to come and play a few hands."

"Well, yes!" Angelica smiled and clapped her hands. "Wonderful! I can't wait!" She hadn't told anyone in her own family yet, but she'd begun a habit of slipping over to Amelia and Andrew's every once in a while so he could teach her how to play cards. She wasn't becoming a serious gambler or anything; they usually played for candy or change, but it was still gambling, a gateway to help her accept her vices, which worked much better than how everyone else, including Sammy, was impatient for her to just jump into all of it with both feet. It was also a way for her to be close to Sammy without actually _being_ close to Sammy. It was working quite well.

"And also...if you need another pep talk about your baby, I can give you that too," Amelia assured her, pushing a strand of her blonde hair out of her eyes.

"Yeah, she wasn't exactly ready for me, either," Selina supplied. "Or my brother. Either of her kids really." She reached out and took her mother's hand. "But it worked out in the end."

"Yeah," Amelia smiled. "It took long enough, but it did."

Smiling to herself, Angelica stepped away, bumping to into Sammy. "Oh, sorry," she said. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Sammy smiled. "I just was looking for you cause I wanted to ask you to save me a dance."

"Well, okay," Angelica smiled. "I guess I could do that."

"Such enthusiasm!" Sammy told her.

"Let me rephrase," Angelica grinned and whispered against his ear as he moaned. "I would _love_ to have a dance with you."

"That's better," Sammy smiled, his hand cupping her bottom and squeezing as he pulled her close against his body. "See you then, babe."

"See ya," Angelica told him.

Soon after was dinner and cake. and Junior and Sarah amused everyone when she took the bit of cake she was supposed to be feeding him and just shoved it right in his face. Not shocked at all, he just grinned and did the same thing to her. The twins followed their parents' example and soon, all four were covered in cake and they still were when it was time to throw the bouquet.

As it sailed through the air, Steve slyly sneaked up to Angelica and gave her a little push so that the flowers fell right into her arms. She then quickly threw them away, so that Valerie caught them.

"Oh, no," Valerie shook her head. "Not me, no thank you!" She then threw them to Cassidy.

"What did you give me these for?" Cassidy cried, staring at the red roses with distaste. "I don't want them!"

"Well, fine," Gwen said and took them. "If no one wants to take them, I will!" She then grinned at Steve and gave him a wink.

Afterward, Sean and Sarah had their first dance as a couple, then did another with Sarah dancing with Elliot and Sean dancing with Juliette and then Ellie as everyone else around them paired up and took to the floor to really make it a party while the alcohol and food remained plentiful so no one went hungry or thirsty.

As people left the reception a few hours later, Steve went up to Michael and Gabriel and Emma and Lexie. "Well," he told his sons, trying to hide the grin he was grinning. "I let you say for the wedding, and now the wedding is over, so...time to go home. That was the deal."

Michael and Gabriel looked at one another, and then, to everyone's surprise, it was Michael who went and grabbed the pastor, who was just about to leave after promising Steve that if he left, they would catch up to him soon.

"I know you're almost done here, but...my brother wants to marry his girlfriend, so...could you do that for him?" Michael asked. "And uh...me too? Maybe?"

"What?" Emma asked, her jaw dropping.

"Really?" Lexie added.

"You don't have to do this for us," Emma quickly told the pastor. "He's just saying he wants us to do it out of panic. So we can wait. But go ahead and do Gabriel and Lexie if they want to."

"And us!" Michael said firmly. "Do us first please."

"Are...are you sure?" Emma asked. "You're not just doing this out of guilt?"

"Honey, if I don't want to do something, I don't do it. I want to marry you. You wanna marry me?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, sure," Emma nodded, still very confused.

"Well, good, what are you fussing about then?" He kissed her. Then he looked at the pastor. "Do we have to go through all that other stuff, or can we just go straight to 'I do'?"

"I suppose we can just go straight to the 'I do' if that suits you," the pastor replied. "So...does everyone want to do this?"

"Yes," all four said at the same time.

"All right," the pastor replied with a smile. "Please face each other and hold hands.

They did as he asked and then he said, "Michael and Gabriel, do you take Emma and Lexie to be your lawfully wedded wives for as long as you both shall live?"

"We do," Michael and Gabriel said at the same time.

"And do you Emma and Lexie take Michael and Gabriel to be your lawfully wedded husbands?"

"We do," Emma and Lexie said.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you men and wives. You may kiss your brides after you exchange rings."

Gabriel and Michael looked at one another in confusion about this until Emma and Lexie produced rings by magic.

Once the rings were in place, they kissed and a magicked in wedding certificate was signed.

Meanwhile, Steve was grinning in his car. "I knew it," he whispered. "Oh, I'm so brilliant!"

"They did it?" Gwen asked knowingly. "They got married?"

"Yes," Steve grinned, turning around and kissing her. "I have two new daughters in law now."

* * *

After Gwen had banished her from the wedding, Charlotte was left wandering aimlessly, not knowing where to go, striding down a roadside with one shoe in hand. She was cursing under her breath when a shiny black Cadillac pulled up along side her, the window rolling down so the car's smirking occupant could stare at her appreciatively.

"Well, now, how much to warm you up?" He asked after giving a low whistle. This made Charlotte turn.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"How much?" He asked. "For you? Looking like that, you couldn't be anything but a prostitute, could you?"

Charlotte scoffed. "This day has already been bad enough. I don't need some nobody making it worse. Now if you'll excuse me..."

"Well, now this is no picnic for me either, my dear," the man told her. "There's a wedding in a mansion nearby here, full of people I hate."

"Really?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow and got closer to the car. "Tell me more."

"There's nothing much to tell except that my ex-wife Gwendolyn is there with her new boyfriend, Steve what's-his-name-" His hands balled into fists. "I hate him so much!"

"Open the door," Charlotte demanded. "I want in the car. Now that you mention it, you don't look so bad to me now. We should talk. I think we could help each other." She gave him a grin.

"Are you going to give me what I want?" He asked once she was inside. He wasn't as completely affected by her charms as she would have liked. "Why should I help you if you don't give me what I want?"

"Well, let's see," Charlotte lost her good humor and began listing reasons why: "A, I am much more powerful than you are. You're nothing but a pitiful vampire, whereas I am the Goddess of All Creation. And don't try to deny what you are. I can smell the stench of a vampire from a mile away and it's quite strong on you. You must've been one of the first ones. Am I wrong?"

He refused to answer that, so she continued. "B, I was just kicked out of the very wedding you want access to because your ex-wife happens to be my sister, and that Steve you're so mad about? He's my ex-husband and I want him back. If I can't have him, she certainly can't. And even if those reasons weren't good enough, you'll help me because I said so, do you understand me?"

"I understand the words," Mikael answered, getting right up in her face and pulling her body against his. "But I'm not the sort to take orders from a woman."

"Maybe not now," she said, sitting on his lap and kissing him soundly. "But you're a man, I'm a woman...and with a little...persuasion, I can get you to do whatever I want..."

"Well we'll just see about that, won't we?" The man grinned before ordering his driver on. "What should I call you, by the way?"

"Once you earn the right, you will call me Charlotte," she said. "Until then, you'll say 'Yes ma'am' when you speak to me. What will I call you?"

"When you earn it, you'll call me Mikael," he replied with a smirk. "Mikael Mikaelson."

* * *

"So where are we going on our honeymoon?" Sarah asked as they got into the limo Lucifer had gotten for them and shivered. "I hope it's some place warm. This snow isn't cute anymore and I'm cold!"

"Oh, we're going some place warm," Junior promised and hugged her. "To the beach...tropical drinks, balmy air...such humidity that you won't need to wear clothes for two weeks..." He grinned. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Well, are you gonna be naked all the time too?" Sarah smiled.

"Of course!" Junior nodded, taking her hand and kissing the palm and nibbling on her fingers. "I'm particularly eager to see how flexible all that exercise has made you."

"Oh, I'm very flexible," Sarah smiled, grabbing him and deftly undoing his shirt buttons with her free hand as she kissed him. "You don't have to worry about that."

Soon, they were both half-dressed and breathing heavily as they made out in the back of the limo, but as Junior started to unhook her bra, they both stopped.

"Not now," Sarah said, trying to catch her breath. "We...we can wait a little longer, can't we?"

"Oh, I suppose," Junior smiled. "We'll have _more_ than enough time to make up for the wait!"

He kissed her one last time as she threw her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, pausing at a knock on the window.

They turned to see Ellie and Lucifer holding the twins and waving their little hands.

Junior rolled the window down and smiled. "Thank you so much for agreeing to watch them while we're away. We really appreciate it.

"Oh, no problem!" Ellie replied with a smile. "It's not like we're not adequately prepared."

"And you have the number of the place where we're staying in case something bad happens, right?" Sarah questioned. "Just give us a call and we'll come right home!"

"We have your numbers," Lucifer assured her. "But nothing bad will happen. They'll be in the same condition they were in when you left them, I swear. Don't worry at all, just enjoy this long overdue honeymoon, all right?"

"All right," Sarah said. "We will! See you in two weeks!"

"See you in two weeks!" Ellie called as they drove away. "Bye!"


	63. It's Not All A Day At The Beach

"Oh, my gosh!" Sarah exclaimed as she flopped down on the bed of the villa that Junior had rented. "This is _so_ fancy and luxurious! I thought that being first class in the plane was cool enough but...but it just continues!" She ran over to the window and gasped. "Am I crazy or is there no one on the beach, even at this time of the day?"

Junior smiled and came up behind her. "There isn't, because it's our little corner of beach," he whispered and nuzzled her neck. "I figured that since we'd be doing a lot of naked romping and swimming, it would be easier in private."

Sarah giggled. "Oh, you're so _naughty!_ " She looked at her bag. "So...there's no bathing suit in there?"

"Well, there is if you want one," he shrugged. "But I'm just saying that you don't have to wear it if you don't want to. I know I won't."

Sarah smiled, hopped off the bed, and ran over to him, pulling him close. "Well, that settles it then," she said with a wink. "If you're not wearing a suit, I won't wear one either!"

Junior kissed her hand, a wicked light in his eyes. "Well, I hoped you would say that," he told her. "Wanna take a nap first or just head out to the beach? I know we had a long plane ride."

"No, I don't need a nap," Sarah shook her head, strode to the door, opened it, and ran onto the beach. "I need exercise! It's been forever since I stretched my legs!"

"Sounds good to me," Junior told her, running after her a few seconds later. They kicked off their shoes and ran into the ankle deep water at the shoreline.

"I still can't believe we're finally here," Sarah sighed and put her arms around him. "It doesn't seem entirely real yet." She paused. "Tell me, did I dream all that or did it really happen?"

Junior entwined his fingers in hers and kissed her hair. "No, it happened," he assured her. "I promise. You're not gonna wake up tomorrow without that ring on your finger."

"Good," Sarah looked up, kissed him, and pulled him into waist deep water before zapping off his shirt and moving her hands over his bare chest as he grinned. "I'm very glad to hear that."

He kissed her soundly as they both began undressing her. "How do you feel about doing it in the water?" He asked.

"Well it'll stop us from getting sand anywhere uncomfortable," Sarah told him. "I don't mind it!"

"I like the way you think!" Sean told her and gave her a splash.

She splashed him back and pulled him close against herself, kissing him soundly. Soon, they were both naked and clutching each other as they made love in the water. Then, when they were sure the mood wouldn't be broken by one or both of them falling with a splash, they began running their hands over one another's bodies.

Then Sean cupped her bottom and gave it a squeeze as he pushed into her and that was when they both finally fell into the warm water with a splash.

"Sorry," he apologized when they both resurfaced. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sarah grinned and swam close so they were practically nose to nose. "I'm fine, are you?"

"Yeah," he breathed, running his fingers through her wet hair. "I'm just great."

* * *

They swam until the sun went down and then came out of the water, zapped their clothes on, and watched the sun go down while sitting together on the beach.

As it got dark stars twinkled in the sky, Sarah reached for Junior's hand. "I don't know about you," she said. "But I could use a drink."

"Me too," Junior smiled. "And I have just the thing." He got to his feet and pulled her after them, but stopped her just outside the door of the villa. "Please shut your eyes," he told her. "And I'll tell you when you can come in. It won't be too long, I promise."

"Okay," Sarah replied, wanting so badly to know what he was up to. But she did what he asked, kept her eyes closed while bouncing on her heels, and waited until he told her to come in. She only took one step forward, however, before she felt him pick her up.

"I know I dropped the ball on carrying you over this threshold," he told her as her eyes opened. "But I'm making up for it now."

She turned her head to look over his shoulder and saw a table set for two with glasses of champagne and a rose in a red vase in the middle of it. There was also a plate of little sandwiches too.

"I know you only said you were thirsty, but I thought, 'What the heck? We can eat a little something too."

"Works for me!" Sarah smiled. "I love it! It's wonderful!"

Sean set her down, pulled out a chair for her, and then picked up his glass. "To us," he said. "Sorry it took so long."

"Hear, hear," Sarah grinned and clinked his glass before taking a sip. "Oh, this is wonderful," she smiled. "Great choice."

"Glad you like it," he told her.

They filled themselves up with sandwiches and champagne, then took a cool shower and headed to bed.

"This is only the beginning of our honeymoon, but I hope you enjoyed yourself," Junior said, handing her the rose from the vase on the table.

"I did," Sarah sniffed the rose. "Thank you, Sean. I love you and I hope you had a good time too."

"I did," he said as he kissed her. "I'm here with you. How could I _not_ have a good time?"

* * *

While Sean was out getting them sodas from the vending machine after they came back in from a boat ride the following afternoon, Sarah, curious as ever, decided to see just what was in his suitcase if he obviously had no interest in wearing clothes on this trip.

She unzipped his bag and, eyes widening, took handcuffs, a rope, and a gag. "What does he want these for?" She asked herself. Well, she knew, but she was surprised.

"So you looked in my little bag of tricks," he said as he came in and handed her a sweaty bottle of Coke. "Surprised?"

"A little," she got out after starting violently and dropping the cuffs. "But also intrigued. If you're gonna tie me up, I at least want a drink first."

He stepped toward her until they were chest to chest, his fingers gently stroking her face. "I think we can work that out," he assured her. "When you say 'drink' do you actually mean a drink or are you just asking for an opportunity to finish your soda?"

"No, I am asking for a drink," Sarah smiled.

He started to pour her a glass and handed it to her, but Sarah pushed it away and shook her head. "No, thank you," she said. "I'd rather drink it off you."

Sean raised an eyebrow and zapped up a shot glass. "And what would you like to drink, my lady?" He asked her.

"Bourbon," Sarah decided. "Please." She paused. "Or should we do tequila since we're somewhere tropical?"

"Whatever you want," Sean smiled.

Soon, Sarah had done several shots of tequila off Sean's neck and abs in addition to drinking a couple of glasses, then she giggled and fell to floor as Sean got down on his knees and loomed over her. "You're drunk," he said with a smile, zapping himself into a cop costume with his shirt and pants unbuttoned. "I'm afraid I'm gonna have to arrest you for that."

Sarah began laughing. "You'll have to catch me first," she said. She tried to run and then fell over.

Sean quickly cuffed her and gave her several spankings. "Shame on you for drinking so much."

"Yeah," Sarah grinned and hiccuped. "I'm really, really bad!" She paused. "Can I have one request before you haul me off to jail?"

"Okay, but just one!" Sean told her.

"You have to kiss me!" Sarah cried.

Sean did so and then ordered her back on the floor, keeping her face down on the floor with his knee in her back as he hit her arms and back with a riding crop as she laughed and screamed.

"More!" She cried. "More!"

He flipped her over to her back and looked her in the eye, giving her a slap. "No," he said firmly. "I tell you what I want. You stay quiet. Do you understand?"

Sarah's dark eyes widened and she nodded, staying silent.

Sean smiled and took her face in his hands and he kissed her lips and then her neck and then bit into her neck as he held her by the hair.

"Oh!" She murmured softly. "Oh!"

She clutched him tight as he detached himself and pulled her to her feet, pushing her against the wall and burying himself inside her over and over, and over until they both collapsed, panting heavily.

"That...what the hell was that?" She asked as they stared at each other. Then smiles curved both their lips as she continued. "And when can we do it again?"

* * *

"Thank you for being so good about watching the twins while my parents went on their honeymoon," Ellie thanked Lucifer after a few days. "I know you're not always the biggest fan of kids that aren't directly related to you."

"Well, your brother and sister are close enough," Lucifer replied. "And besides, I'm getting more used to children in general. Dad knows we have enough running around here."

She looked at the clock. "It's time for them to take their naps. Do you think it'll be easy to pry them away from Lily Eleanor? Those three are getting along famously!"

"I think we can do it," Lucifer nodded.

But it wasn't as easy as it seemed. They were enjoying their play time and let out terrible shrieks as they were taken away from their friend.

"Why?" Lucifer groaned. "The screeching is giving me a headache! Make them stop!"

"It's not that easy!" Ellie shouted. "They're babies, not adults or even children!"

"I wish they were adults now!" Lucifer huffed.

"Oh, now, be patient!" Ellie said, knowing it was ridiculous to request that of him, especially when he was already frustrated. "We can do this! Maybe they'll calm down if we put them in separate rooms!"

"Or you could just use your magic to silence them," Lucifer pointed out. "That would be the quickest option."

"No," Ellie said firmly. "We can't do that. It wouldn't be right."

"Fine," Lucifer huffed and handed the wailing Elliot to Ellie. "If you think you have the patience to deal with these screeching hellions 'the right way' then please do it, but I will have no part in it. I'm done."

"Fine, whatever," Ellie yelled after him as he stalked away to hide in his office and get the pounding in his head to stop. "Run away, but I hope you're better about it when it's our own children!"

* * *

Heaving a frustrated sigh, she managed to get both twins in separate rooms and calmed down, but she was so mad at Lucifer for giving up and ditching her that she shut him out and dealt with the twins' uncharacteristic bad mood on her own for the next few days.

"I know you're ignoring me," he said at last, handing her his cell phone over breakfast. "But aren't you tired of your siblings' nonsense? Wouldn't it be easier on everyone to just call your parents, tell your father what's going on, and then have him solve it?"

"No, we don't need to disturb them on their honeymoon," Ellie said firmly, her dark eyes narrowed. "We've had children before. We can figure this out!"

But they didn't and finally Ellie conceded a kind of defeat...not necessarily agreeing to call her parents, but, realizing that there could be demon stuff involved, decided to go to the hospital to talk to some of Junior's doctor friends to see if they could help.

It was when she was gone that Lucifer realized the house had gone quiet. There was no longer the sound of screaming babies permeating everything. He cautiously opened the door of his office to make sure that he wasn't wrong about that, and when he was met with silence, got Dexter to tell him where Ellie had put the twins.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about them," Dexter said quickly. "It's fine." He tried his best to stop Lucifer from going down the hallway to the bedrooms.

"What are you doing?" Lucifer frowned. "Dexter, what is wrong with you?"

Then a different look crossed Dexter's face. "I don't know," he said. "Something's happened and I thought for a moment it would freak you out, but then I realized it will be more of a problem for Miss Ellie than you."

"What happened?" Lucifer asked. "Is it the twins? Are they hurt? Are they dead? Are we going to have to make up some speech for their parents?"

"They aren't dead," Dexter assured him quickly. "But you have to come see.." He led Lucifer to the nurseries and Lucifer quickly realized what had happened when he saw the twins, now no longer babies but full grown teenagers, sitting in chairs and wrapped in blankets.

"We're working on finding them clothes," Dexter explained. "They woke up this way from their nap."

"I forgot they had a bit of demon in them," Lucifer shook his head. "Well, that explains a lot. They were probably experiencing growing pains. When I said I wanted them grown up, I didn't think I would get my wish."

He asked Dexter to get both twins in one room and then he went to talk to them. "So you're Elliot and Juliette, are you?" He asked them.

"Yes," Elliot replied, blond hair hanging in his dark eyes. "When are we gonna get clothes? I'm cold!"

"I'll take care of that, I promise," Lucifer assured him. "But we have to decide what we're gonna do about telling your sister. I think it would be best to let me do it."

"Lucifer?" Ellie called. "I know you're not gonna like that I asked this but...would you help me get the twins in their car seats so we can take them to the doctor? We'll finally have some answers."

"It's okay," Juliette called. "We don't need-"

Lucifer quickly put a hand over her mouth. "What did I say about letting me handle this?" He then ushered them both into a closet as Ellie opened the door to the room.

"How nice you're already in here," she said. "So where are the twins? And did I hear a woman's voice just now?"

"Oh, um..." Lucifer tried to think of something to say that would distract her. "You know, you've been under a lot of stress dealing with the children by yourself, and it's completely my fault and making you hear imaginary voices, so why don't you go read your books and hang out with your fish and I'll take the twins to the hospital?"

"Are you sure?" Ellie asked as a noise sounded in the closet where the twins were, as if something had fallen. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Lucifer assured her and ushered her out of the room. "Just the house settling, go on, go on."

"Are you sure?" Ellie asked again.

"Yes, please relax," Lucifer insisted. "It's nothing I can't handle."

"Is something going on?" Ellie asked.

"No, of course not!" Lucifer shook his head. It wasn't a lie, it was a bluff. And bluffs were okay. This was for Eleanor's own good. "Please just go read."

"Oh, all right," Ellie sighed. "Thanks for stepping up."

"Well, that was close," Juliette breathed when Lucifer finally let her and her blond brother out of the closet. "It was getting warm in there! Do you think she bought it?"

"No," Lucifer replied. "She still thinks I'm up to something. But at least we have time to work this out."

"So what happens now?" Elliot asked. "Clothes?"

Lucifer looked his brother in law over. "It's a good thing you're tall like me," he said. "You can borrow some of my things until we can slip out to the store. I don't even think we'll need to call my tailor."

"And me?" Juliette asked. "I can't get anything from your closet. Ellie will notice it's missing."

"Well, thank goodness for you there are other tiny women in this house," Lucifer told her. "After we get Elliot dressed, I'll take you to see Angelica. I'm sure she'll have things that will fit you."

"Good," Juliette smiled, pushing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. "Sounds good to me!"


	64. Given and Taken Away

"You know," Sarah grinned as she took a swig of her pina colada. "I didn't even know I liked these until this trip. I think after I finish this, I'll have another one!"

"Why not?" Junior asked and held up his own margarita. "We leave tomorrow so we need to make the most of the time we've got left!"

Sarah put her drink down, shifted in her folding chair on the sand next to his, and sighed. "Is it bad that I'm bummed we have to go back home? I like it here. It's so nice and quiet and we can do whatever we want!"

Junior grinned and took her hand to kiss it, then rubbed her belly, moving his hand down and stopping just at the edge of her swimsuit bottoms before pulling his hand away. "We can come back, you know," he said and kissed her. "We will, too, don't worry about that."

"Well, I should hope so," Sarah told him with a wide grin. "I've been spoiled now and you can't undo it!"

"I have no plans to," Junior assured her. "You're not the only one enjoying yourself!"

He finished his drink and then they both downed one more each before Junior got to his feet and pulled her up after him, the warm sand shifting under their feet in such a way that he had to grab her and hold her steady.

"You think you'll be all right to play a game of volley ball?" He asked. "Or do you just want to go in and lie down?"

"No, I'm good," Sarah said. "It was the sand that moved. I'm not drunk, I promise."

"Good," Sean nodded. "Good."

Sarah smiled and gave him a spank. "Even though you're wearing trunks now you still look very good!"

"Aren't you sweet?" Sean returned. "Thank goodness I could just zap those trunks in when I wanted them. Don't you think?"

"Yeah, cause playing naked volleyball could hurt if the ball lands in the wrong place," Sarah replied and pulled up the strap of her bikini top back onto her shoulder. She zapped up a volleyball net and they both hit the ball back and forth for quite a while, not keeping score and just reveling in each other's company until they decided it was time to go inside for some food and a nap.

* * *

"So when were you going to tell me that the twins had grown up?" Ellie asked Lucifer at last. He and Amy had managed to hold her off for a while by Amy creating illusions of babies with her magic, but finally, Lucifer's constant offers to watch the twins got to Ellie and she vowed to find out the truth, which didn't take long. It was Angelica who blabbed.

"Oh, I...I don't have that black dress just now," she'd said one night when Ellie had wanted to borrow it to wear out to dinner with Lucifer. "Juliette is borrowing it. She's grown up now and we're sharing clothes."

"Juliette?" Ellie had asked. "You mean my sister who's a baby?"

"She's grown up now," Angelica shrugged. "Dad found her."

Ellie hissed. "And why didn't he tell me?"

It hadn't freaked her out as much as Lucifer had feared it would, and in fact, she was happy after he made a full confession of what had happened. And the twins themselves were relieved too.

"You don't think it's weird?" Juliette asked as the twins finally hung out in Ellie's library. "I know it's a bit unusual."

"Nah, all my kids are like that," Ellie told her. "It's not new to me. It's just a little sad. I like babies. And so does Mom." She squirmed uncomfortably and got up with a groan. Her back hurt and the babies were using her bladder as a trampoline. She loved babies, but much more when they were out of her. This was getting real old, real fast.

"Should we tell her before she gets home?" Elliot asked worriedly. "Will she hate us?"

"No," Ellie shook her head, looking up at her very tall little brother and hugging him. "Of course she won't." She paused. "And since they're on their way back from their honeymoon, I don't know if I can reach them to prepare them ahead of time. But like I told you, I promise they'll love you no matter how big or old you are."

Juliette cuddled close to her sister as Ellie sat down after returning from the bathroom and absent-mindedly ran her fingers through the younger woman's hair.

"When do Mom and Dad come back?" She asked. "And will you be with us when they do?"

"Yes," Ellie swore. "I will, I promise. Even though I swear you have nothing to worry about, I will be there when they come to pick you up tomorrow."

"Thank you," Juliette told her. "I feel better already!"

* * *

As Lucifer got ready for dinner an hour or so later, he turned to face Elliot, who was helping him choose an outfit. "Too much black?" He asked. "Black tie, black shirt, black shoes..."

"No, I think it looks good," Elliot reassured him and stood up. "What about me? I think the blue suit was a safe choice. The guy at the store told me I looked good... _really_ good." He pulled a number out of his pocket. "And he gave me this. What do you think I should do with it?"

"Well, that depends," Lucifer told him. "I know you just grew up, so...are you ready to pursue anything like a relationship?"

"I could," Elliot nodded. Then, to Lucifer's surprise (and if he was completely honest, his delight too, because he remembered the man Elliot was talking about and he was _very_ good looking,) that was followed up by, "He wasn't bad looking. We could start with a drink and see where it goes. Is that weird? I don't want to do anything weird."

"Oh, no, no!" Lucifer shook his head. "It's perfect! If I wasn't head over heels in love with your sister, I would have gone after him myself."

"You would?" Elliot asked. "You...you like guys too?"

Lucifer nodded. "I have...and I still find them aesthetically pleasing. Ladies too. It's not a bad thing. Not at all."

"Good, because..." Elliot came closer. "Cause I thought the woman at the perfume counter was pretty too. Nice to know this is a normal thing."

"Just to warn you, some people might not see it that way," Lucifer told him. "But, you'll always have me, you know that."

"Thanks," Elliot smiled. "That's...that's good." He heard the clock chime. "It's almost time for you to head to the restaurant, isn't it?"

"Oh, yes," Lucifer nodded. "Your sister is probably waiting for me. Gotta run! And once you call the man from the store, let me know!"

"All right," Elliot called after him. "I will!"

* * *

"Your brother got asked out on a date already," Lucifer told Ellie over dinner.

"Oh, did he?" Ellie asked and then cut into her giant steak, which was just one of multiple entrees in front of her. "What did he tell you about her? Nice girl?" She paused. "Or guy?"

"The young man who helped him fit his suits, actually," Lucifer said. "Good looking. Warlock, I believe. Lovely blue eyes." He paused. "Your brother is nervous about it. We need to help him with your parents."

Ellie swallowed her steal and stabbed at some broccoli. "Oh, I'm sure Mom won't mind but Dad and Grandpa...yeah, we should probably head any bad stuff off at the pass." She grinned. "But that is so nice that he got asked out, though. Thanks for looking after him."

"Oh, of course!" Lucifer nodded. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I mean, I was lucky, but you don't forget that stuff like that's not always easy."

"I'm sure," Ellie nodded and then zapped up a pillow to stick behind her back. "Much better."

"Is your back giving you trouble?" Lucifer asked. "Cause I could come over there and help..."

"No, it's good for now, but maybe when we get back a little massage wouldn't hurt. Oh, and I know I've been tossing and turning a lot. Since you deserve an actual good night's sleep, I'll lock myself in my spare bedroom tonight."

"You don't have to do that," Lucifer told her. "I don't really need the rest anyway." He speared one of her little potatoes and popped it in his mouth. "These are not bad at all, are they?" He paused. "But you might want to slow down. You won't have enough room for dessert!"

"I will," Ellie assured him. "Eating for three, remember?" She sighed. "I hope not for too much longer, though. I've never been so sick of being pregnant." She paused. "I think they just don't want to come out to make me miserable. How about we hit me over the head and operate like we did the first time around? I wouldn't hate you for it."

"Now you know that's not good for you," Lucifer chided. "It's just one of my father's pain in the ass lessons you're experiencing, I believe."

"Oh, probably," Ellie huffed. "He did all the sped up growing and pregnancy stuff cause He knew it would be best for my lifestyle and now that I've gone off the beaten path, He's showing me exactly why He's right and I'm wrong. Darn him."

"You poor girl," Lucifer reached across the table and kissed her hand. "You poor, dear girl." He poured her a small glass of wine. "Have this. I'm sure one wouldn't hurt. Even your father told me so at the wedding."

"Okay, if he said so," Ellie agreed and took it. "Thanks for your help with that, by the way. It turned out wonderful and Mom and Dad seemed really happy."

"They were, weren't they?" Lucifer nodded. "You think they'll have presents when they get back tomorrow?"

"I mean I'm not expecting anything," Ellie shrugged. "But it would be nice if they did!"

* * *

"Your grandmother seems to be taking the twins growing up pretty well," Dexter told Valerie after witnessing Sarah and Junior leave with their now grown up children. "That's good because your mother was worried she wouldn't like missing her chance to have the twins be babies." He paused and put a wrapped gift on her bedside table. "And they brought this back for you."

Valerie, who was reading on her bed, scoffed at the talk about babies while throwing her book aside and unwrapping her gift. "I don't even know why that is! Babies aren't so great! And us especially...we're hardly babies for any time at all, so why get attached?"

"Well, it might not be a long time that you're babies, but it's long enough," Dexter said with a smile. "I like them when they're cuddly little bundles of joy!" He paused. "I know we've talked about this, but...you're all right with having children still, aren't you? I'd even be okay with just one!"

His eyes then widened as Valerie, eyes red and teeth bared, threw her book hard against the wall.

"Well, you won't get any!" She growled in a guttural voice. "Not one!"

"Why not?" Dexter asked, unafraid. "Why don't you want children? Talk to me, please!"

"I just can't have any," Valerie got out in a more normal voice. "I don't want to talk about this now. Please go away."

"But..." Dexter got out.

"Please," Valerie said firmly. She was trying not to cry and even though Dexter was one of the few people she actually didn't mind crying in front of, she couldn't now. Not about this.

"All right," Dexter nodded and backed out the door with his hand on the knob. "I'll go, but if you want to talk, I'm here." He left and shut the door behind him and once he was gone, Valerie played the voicemail message that she'd replayed several times since she'd gotten it a few days before.

 _"Valerie, hi, it's Dr. Foster. We got the results of your test and I'm...I'm sorry. It's not possible for you to have children. Your uterus just doesn't want to. Don't know the precise reason yet but we'll figure it out so you'll at least know why. If ever you want to start IVF, let me know and we'll began that process as soon as possible. Again, I'm so sorry. I know that this isn't the news you wanted to hear."_

She then threw the phone on the floor and began to cry in earnest. Sure, she and Dexter had talked about having children, but not precisely when. It was quite obvious he wanted them and he had told her they could start a family whenever she was ready. And though she wasn't exactly a Mother with a capital 'M', Valerie wasn't exactly appalled at the idea of being a parent either. Her niece and nephew and brothers and sister had gotten her used to little kids.

So, a few months ago, she'd stopped taking her pills, thinking that given how often she and Dexter went to bed, it wouldn't take long for them to conceive. But after nothing happened, she'd decided to go to the doctor and see what was going on. Now she had her answer. She was defective. Everyone else got to have a kid but her. Grandpa was going to hear about this.


	65. Always In The Back Of My Mind

Sarah and Junior were up eating breakfast before the twins were, following their return from their honeymoon, and used the time as a chance to talk.

"Are you really okay about the twins growing up?" Junior asked as Sarah ate her eggs. "I know you put on a happy face when we got to Lucifer's, but you know you can tell me anything."

"I just...I don't mind that they're big," Sarah sighed. "We've known since before they were born that this was gonna happen. I just wish we'd been there when it did, you know?" She sighed. "I'll get over it though. They're still our children and we love them."

"Do you love us enough to save us some breakfast?" Juliette asked as she and Elliot came down the stairs. She wore plaid pajamas and was barefoot. He was dressed in a navy blue suit.

"You two...did you sleep well?" Sarah asked. "You look well-rested."

"Yeah, fine," Elliot nodded. "I hope you did too, Mother."

"Yes," Sarah told him and giggled nervously. "Your dad can make you an omelet if you'd like one and I...I squeezed some orange juice fresh. I do that a lot. Just one of my little ways to say 'I love you' by making sure you're eating reasonably healthy."

"Sure," Juliette nodded, not missing the tension in the air. "That sounds good."

"I agree," Elliot added.

Sarah then got up and poured them both some juice as Junior started cracking eggs. "Okay, who wants what in their omelet?"

"Cheese and ham, please!" Juliette decided.

"Denver omelet," Elliot told his father and then put one napkin on his lap and tucked another in his shirt.

"Why are you doing that?" Juliette asked. "It looks weird!"

"I don't care how it looks if it stops me from getting stains on my nice suit," Elliot told her. "Mind your own business!"

"What kind of a weirdo wears a suit to breakfast anyway?" Juliette chuckled. "You're such a dork, Elliot!" She then let out a scream and swore loudly. "Fuck you, Elliot, that was my foot! _And_ I'm barefoot!"

"That was your foot?" Elliot asked, feigning surprise. "I thought that was the leg of the table. I'm _so_ sorry!" His Beatle boots had a bit of heel. He was glad she'd felt it when he'd stomped on her. He then let out a hiss as she aimed a kick at his shin but only managed to scratch the exposed skin of his ankle. "Someone needs a pedicure!" He yelled. "You really should clip your toenails!"

Juliette then took her glass of milk and threw it in her brother's face.

"Hey, that is enough!" Sarah snapped and quickly cleaned her son up. "Are we gonna get along or would it be better if you two ate in your rooms?"

"Sorry," Elliot cleared his throat as his father placed his breakfast in front of him. "I'll behave myself."

"Yeah," Juliette nodded. "Me too. Sorry, Mom." Then she looked at her father. "This is a really good omelet. Thank you!"

"Yes," Elliot agreed. "What a good start to the day!"

Junior and Sarah just looked at one another. They sounded kind of mechanical, but as long as they weren't fighting, it didn't matter.

"You're welcome," Junior told them as he dug into his own breakfast. "I'm glad you're enjoying your food."

* * *

The next time Angelica was overcome by an urge for Sammy, fortunately, it was a weekend. And not just any weekend, a weekend when he wasn't gonna be home for a few hours and she could just dash in and dash out. She could have it both ways...not have to deal with him personally, yet be close to him through his things! She got to the house, took her key out of her purse, and let herself in, standing in the doorway and reveling in the 'Sammy-ness' of the house. Then she realized she was hungry and made herself up some pasta and sauce, but let out a shriek when the red sauce got all over her white shirt and rose skirt.

"Well, my mood for this is ruined!" she cried. "And no _way_ am I walking around in a stained outfit!"

Thankfully, most of her maternity clothes could be put in the washer so while they washed, she put on one of Sammy's large football jerseys and a bathrobe on and ordered a giant cheese pizza, bread sticks, and a brownie dessert pizza.

Once the delivery man was gone, she removed the robe and ate in one of the arm chairs with her legs draped across one arm. She was halfway finished with the cheese pizza when Sammy unexpectedly strode in and stared. Deciding to have a little fun with him (and feeling more secure than usual with her big belly under his bigger shirt) she said in breathy voice, "Hi Sammy. Want some pizza?"

Sammy stared and blinked. There were lights surrounding her and harp music. Angelica was sitting in a chair barefoot with her legs draped across one arm and she had big pizza box in her lap. Was he dreaming?

"Sammy, I asked if you wanted pizza!" Angie repeated sharply, her voice destroying his fantasy. "You better hurry cause the baby has a big appetite and if you don't take some now it'll all be gone!"

"Sorry, thank you," He said. "I just...I thought you were a hallucination!" He took a bite of a piece that she handed him and asked through a full mouth, "Are you wearing underwear? I'm _insanely_ curious."

"I am," Angelica nodded and then said, "But hopefully not for long."

Sammy chuckled and made a grab for her as he felt hardness in his pants. "I can arrange that."

"Not now!" She shook her head and gave him a gentle push while holding her half eaten pizza slice over her head in an effort to keep it from getting in his lovely hair. "Pizza! And brownie pizza! And bread sticks! I'm still eating!"

"Well, okay," Sammy put his hands up and leaned back a little. " _Excuse me_. Would you mind if I have a bread stick?"

"Of course!" Angelica told him. "Eat all you want. Just don't interrupt me."

"How magnanimous of you," Sammy told her dryly and stuck a couple of bread sticks, and some more pizza on a plate.

When the pizza was gone and the boxes were in the trash, Sammy ran to the bathroom and sprayed some breath spray in his mouth before striding purposefully back into the living room, grabbing Angelica, who was just rising from the armchair, in a hug from behind and nuzzling at her neck.

"So glad you came over here," he told her. "I missed you. And even though that's my favorite jersey, I'm gonna forgive you for stretching it out because you look so hot."

"Don't worry about your jersey," Angelica told him. "I'm only wearing it until my clothes finish washing and drying. Then I'll change and fix this."

"Oh, no, no!" Sammy shook his head. "Don't you dare! I was only teasing before. You can wear it as long as you want. Why did you need to wash your clothes in the first place?"

"Because as usual, I wanted to eat but then when I was making sauce for my pasta, it exploded and stained everything. I lost the taste for it after that," she sighed.

Sammy grinned. "Of course you have a taste for Italian, don't you?" He kissed her soundly and pulled her close against himself. "You should have waited for me. I would have helped you."

"Well, I didn't know you were coming," Angelica told him. "I stopped by for a little peace and quiet cause I knew you'd be gone." She paused. "But it...it's very sweet of you to offer to help me. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Sammy replied, kissing her again and pulling at her thong so it ended up around her ankles.

"There," he said as he braced her against the wall and rubbed her. "Isn't that better?"

"Yes, oh, yes!" Angelica breathed, her fingers in his hair. "Harder, harder!" She giggled loudly as he slid his finger in and out of her. "Good, good!"

He held onto her tight as she orgasmed, her head falling onto his shoulder. He had one arm around her back and the other cupping her bottom before giving it a squeeze and kissing her again. "Okay?" He asked with a smirk. "I mean, stupid question cause of course you are, but..."

"Why?" She asked.

"Why what?" Sammy returned, moving a strand of hair aside that had fallen into her eyes.

"Why do you...want to do that with me when I'm fat and disgusting and always shoveling food in my face?" Angie clarified with a wince and a shudder. "It's...horrifying. If I wasn't Daddy's kid, I would definitely be camping out with the gluttons by now."

"No, you would not!" Sammy shook his head. "I know you hang out with my relatives in secret, but really, I should take you to Grandpa Damon's on lasagna night. It'll make you feel much better about your own eating habits, especially if Grandma Selina is there. She's no dainty eater."

"So...so what you're saying is that you're used to that level of greediness with food?" Angelica smiled a little, the blush that was coloring her face shifting from scarlet to pink. "You...you find it attractive?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sammy nodded. "Especially when it's you because enjoying good food in more than just small quantities is what normal people do. You don't get some special prize if you eat salads all the time. But you miss out on good stuff." He paused. "And it's...it's not just you enjoying food that I find immensely attractive." He grinned and put a hand on her belly. "You're carrying our baby. Did you know that?"

"No," Angelica said with a sarcastic grin. "I completely forgot!"

They both chuckled again, their faces getting closer and closer until he pulled her to him again, kissing her furiously as he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. But as the door closed behind them, and she heard a zipper unzip, she pulled back, wide eyed.

"Put me down," she cried in a panicked voice. "You had your fun, now put me down. I think I hear the dryer. I'll put my own clothes on and be out of here!"

"No!" He cried. "Damn it, Angie!" He zipped up his pants and ran to the laundry room, but of course the door was closed.

"Angelica, can we talk?" He called.

"No, thank you," she replied from the other side of the door. "Don't have time to talk. I'm leaving." The door suddenly opened and she emerged, dressed and immaculate as usual and handing him his jersey, which was waded up in her fist. "Here's this," she said. "I fixed it so it'll fit you right when you wanna wear it again. Goodbye, Sammy."

She then took off as Sammy swore repeatedly and kicked things. Why did she always do that? _Why?_

* * *

"Okay, this is the third morning we've woken up to crashing and yelling!" Lucifer exclaimed when he and Ellie were pulled out of sleep yet again. "I'm going to deal with this. I've had enough!"

"Be careful!" Ellie told him. "Don't do anything stupid that might get you hurt! Remember your babies...and me!"

"I will, Eleanor," he assured her, his eyes going red as he put on pants and stalked out of the room.

He followed the noise and reached Dexter's room just in time to see him be thrown out of it and the door slamming in his face.

"Here now, what's going on?" Lucifer asked and helped him up. "We both know I make it a point to stay out of you and my daughter's business, but...all the noise! Dexter, share with me, because this can't go on!"

"Well, you don't have to worry," Dexter told him. "She's...she's breaking things off with me. Won't tell me why. Says it should be obvious and that I'm an idiot if I don't know. And on top of that kicked me out of my own room...you think you could get some answers out of her? You know I wouldn't ask, but I don't know what else to do!"

Lucifer gave his very sad friend a nod. "I'll see what I can do," he said and then called out, "Valerie, I hope you're dressed because we're going to have a talk!"

"Okay, fine!" Valerie called. "But don't bring Dexter in and make sure he's not listening in the hallway, either!"

"I'll...I can go to the grocery store," Dexter said. "You need anything?"

"No, thanks," Lucifer told him. "In fact," he handed him a credit card from his wallet, which was in the pocket of his robe. "Why don't you go out for a few days or something? It sounds like you deserve a break, at least until we get to the bottom of this."

"Really?" Dexter smiled and took it. "Thank you! I'm gonna go pack."

Once he was gone, Lucifer knocked on the closed door. "Dexter is gone, Valerie, darling. I think we should chat now."

A few seconds later, Valerie let him in. "Are you sure you wanna talk?" She asked. "There are feelings involved and there might be crying."

"I've gotten better with that since I stared talking to Amy and married your mother, so please explain to me why you threw the man I know you love, even though I don't like to think about it, out of his own bedroom."

"It's for his own good," Valerie replied. "He'll be happier without me."

"I doubt that, but why do you think so?" Lucifer questioned.

Valerie's lower lip trembled and some tears fell down her cheeks. "He wants kids," she said. "And I...I'm used to them now so I thought, 'Okay.' A few months ago, I stopped taking my pills and I thought that would do it...but it didn't." She sniffled. "I got impatient so I went to the doctor and took some tests. Then not too long ago, I got a phone call from the doctors about the test results. Daddy, I'm infertile!" She burst into tears and threw herself into his arms. "I have the power to give anyone anything they desire...except for Dexter cause I'm defective and can't have his babies!"

"Oh, you're not defective," Lucifer told her and kissed her hair. "And you know we can fix this. I'll go and have a chat with my father..."

"Can I come?" Valerie asked. "I want to be there!"

"Of course!" Lucifer nodded and handed her a handkerchief from his coat pocket. "Now dry your eyes and let's go!"

* * *

"It should come as no surprise to you that I was expecting this," Steve sighed and ushered them in as they glared at him. "Should I skip the long speech about why and tell you that nothing you say will change things?"

"Why the heck not?" Valerie demanded. "Grandpa, I'm being selfless! I want to give Dexter something he always wanted! And I can't do that unless you do something!"

"And you just explained why I wouldn't change things if I could," Steve told her. "You're doing this for Dexter. You shouldn't have a child solely because you think it'll make your partner happy, especially because it will take much more of a toll on you."

"Even if I'm not a hundred percent ready, I'm like...ninety percent ready," Valerie countered. "And that's pretty good! And because I was ditched as a baby, I certainly wouldn't abandon my kid like Mom did and like Angelica is going to do. How come they can do that and I can't?"

"Because they are the two most guilt-ridden people I know," Steve told her. "They might leave their baby for whatever reason, but your mother went back almost immediately and Angelica will to. I'm not so sure about you."

"Excuse me!" Lucifer rose to his feet, his eyes red and his hand tightly clutching Valerie's. "Did you not just hear her say that she would never abandon her child? I for one believe her so you are going to do whatever it is you do to fix this so she and Dexter can be happy!"

"And what if I don't?" Steve asked. "I have no doubt that at this point, surrounded by a pregnant mother and a pregnant sister, and knowing that her grandmother also had babies not too long ago, Valerie genuinely believes that having children is a good idea. She sees everyone else doing it, and that the babies are bringing happiness, and she wants that too. Knowing that it's not possible for her to have children the same way has made things worse for her. But it'll get better...once you talk to Dexter."

"No, I don't want to," Valerie shook her head.

"Why not?" Steve questioned. "Why won't you tell him that you can't have children?"

"Because I'm scared that if I tell him I can't have kids, he won't love me anymore!" Valerie burst out. "And I can't...I can't deal with that."

"So that's why you broke up with him," Lucifer sighed. "You hurt him before he could hurt you. I know that maneuver. Amy says it's not healthy."

"Well, if we stopped doing everything she said wasn't healthy, we'd just have to face our problems like grown ups and what fun is that?" Valerie sighed and sniffled. "So...you're not gonna fix me?" She questioned Steve.

"No," Steve shook his head. "I'm not. But if you talk to Dexter, I promise it won't be so bad."

"I can't," Valerie shook her head. "Not now. He went to a hotel for a few days. That's probably a good thing."

"It is," Steve nodded. "For both of you. Having his influence about this whole 'having kids' business out of your mind will help you figure out what _you_ want. Because I'm sure he would tell you that what you want in terms of a family matters as much as what he wants. I'd be very surprised if it didn't."

"Oh, I know that what I want matters," Valerie assured Steve. "But...I always get what I want. Dexter should have what _he_ wants for once!"

"And if were the color of paint on the walls or what kind of faucet fixtures you wanted, that would be a very grown up way to think," Steve told her. "But children take a lot of commitment and care and if both you and Dexter aren't ready to have a family and pull equal weight, then you shouldn't do it. You should wait until you're both ready. You give it time and you'll find a way."

Valerie sighed. "I still don't like that answer," she told him. "But I...guess you have a point. And with the twins and Angelica's baby coming, I'll have more time to practice my parenting. That's something. For both me _and_ Dexter!"

"It is," Steve nodded. "Do you feel better now?"

"I'm starting to," Valerie sighed. "It'll take some time before I'm completely better but I'm getting there."

"Good," Steve smiled and soon Valerie found herself sandwiched in a hug between her father and grandfather. "That's what I wanted to hear."


	66. Behind The Facade

"Did you have a nice trip?"

Dexter stood in the doorway of his bedroom, gripping the door frame tight as he stared at Valerie, who sat on his bed and spoke to him.

"Yeah," he nodded and gave a nervous chuckle. "Sure, it was great...real generous of your dad."

"What are you hovering like that for?" Valerie questioned and came toward him. "It's your room. You can come in."

"Well, I wasn't sure, seeing as how you threw me out last time," Dexter told her and strode in. "And what was that about, anyway? What's the matter with you? Would you like to talk about it now?"

"Yeah, I guess we should," Valerie sighed. "I just...I hope you're not too disappointed."

"Disappointed?" Dexter asked. That was not a word he'd expected to hear. "Disappointed about what?"

Valerie sighed and zapped up a box of tissues, which she took in her lap. "I know how you keep saying you want us to have a kid. And don't get me wrong, you totally deserve one cause you'd be the best dad. And...and that's why I tried to break up with you. Cause I...visited the doctor and they told me...they told me I can't have any." She then sat back and watched him, waiting for what he would say.

But instead of speaking first, he came and put his arms around her as she cried into his shoulder. "Now I get what you were mad for," he said in a hushed voice. "Me going on and on about having children when you can't. I must've seemed so thoughtless."

"It's not your fault," Valerie sniffled and looked up at him through wet green eyes. "You didn't know. You were just expressing yourself. I overreacted. I'm the one who should be sorry. And I am, really."

"I know you are," Dexter nodded. "I thought something was wrong. You wouldn't have just gotten mad at me like that for no reason."

"Even so, it wasn't very nice of me," Valerie sighed. "I shouldn't have thrown you out of your own room."

"No, you shouldn't have," Dexter agreed. "But that's all forgiven now. Let's not think about it anymore." He kissed her hair.

"You're too good to me," Valerie snuggled against him. "What did I ever do to deserve someone as good as you in my life?"

"You didn't have to do anything," he told her. "I just love you, that's all. And I'm gonna make sure you get a chance to hone your mothering skills one way or another."

"How will you do that?" Valerie asked. "I mean, I could always steal one of my new siblings or Angie's kid but I think that would be frowned upon."

"Exactly," Dexter nodded. Then it hit him. "I've got an idea," he said.

"What?" Valerie asked eagerly.

"It's a surprise," Dexter grinned. "So it's for me to know and you to find out!"

* * *

Though the meeting with his father had ended on a reasonably good note, Lucifer (of course) was still stung by how unusually harsh his father had been to poor Valerie. Was it because she was like him? Probably. But she shouldn't be punished for that. Dad needed to apologize, more sincerely this time.

But he knew it wouldn't happen if he asked, so he used his secret weapon: he called Gwen. "Is it only you that's home?" He asked. "I need a favor and it's hard to get out with Dad around."

"When isn't it with you?" Gwen asked dryly. "He's gone now, so you can come over. I'll be your go between, don't worry."

"Thank you," Lucifer told her. "I won't be long."

"All right," Gwen said. "I'll be waiting."

* * *

And she was. She opened the door at his knock and ushered him to the sofa. "Can I get you something before we start this talk?" She asked. "Wine? Coffee?"

"A coffee would be nice, thank you," Lucifer told her. "Just a little cream, please."

"All right," Gwen nodded.

She left and soon came back with two cups, handing him one and then grinning. "Now," she got out. "What do you need me to smooth over with your father this time?"

"Well, he wasn't very nice to Valerie," Lucifer huffed. "She came to him with a problem and he just treated her horribly. It was probably some way to get under my skin but she doesn't deserve it. Especially when she's going through enough what with being infertile and all."

"Oh, yes, poor girl," Gwen sighed. "I went through that myself. I mean, I was obviously able to have children but my husbands, for the longest time, they just couldn't properly perform. Although I have to say that when your father mentioned Valerie's troubles to me, I was surprised. I wasn't aware she was interested in having children."

"Did Dad also mention, when he told you about Valerie, that he said she would make a lousy parent cause she was so selfish?" Lucifer asked. "Because he did! He said it right to her face! And I think he doesn't even care that he hurt her because he's stressing it's what has to be! Tell him he has to care, please! _And_ apologize. I won't accept anything less!"

"Oh, of course you won't," Gwen told him. "I wouldn't think it would be any different than usual."

"Thank you," he said and then got up. "I think I'll go have another cup. Is there still some in the kitchen?"

"There should be," Gwen nodded. "But you're the guest. Let me get it for you."

"Thank you, but I'm all right getting it," he assured her. "No need for you to move when I have a perfectly serviceable pair of legs."

He went and got another cup of coffee, but as he reached the coffee table, he tripped over a bit of rug that was sticking up and his cup went flying out of his hand, coffee splattering all over Gwen's blouse and the sofa.

"Sorry!" He cried, grabbing the napkin she zapped up and dabbing at the cleavage exposed by her stained low cut blouse. "Let me get it. Did I burn you? Oh, damn that was clumsy of me!"

"Oh, I'm not hurt, it's fine!" Gwen insisted. They battled over who would take control of the napkin until their tussle sent them both tumbling to the floor, and when Steve came into the living room a few seconds later, he found Lucifer on top of Gwen, his face buried in her cleavage.

"Well, this is interesting to come home to," he said dryly.

"It's not what it looks like!" Lucifer cried, his head going up and his hands absent-mindedly cupping Gwen's boobs for a second before he winced and pulled them away.

"It's really not," Gwen agreed as she reached for Steve's hand so he could help her up off the floor. "He spilled coffee on me and we were having a bit of a disagreement about who would clean it up, and then I fell and he fell and...why am I telling you this? You already know!"

"Yes," Steve nodded as Lucifer scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off, blushing red as he strode to the other side of the room and watched his father help Gwen stand upright as she zapped herself clean. "It's interesting no one seems to remember that."

"So you know that I'm going to ask why you were so harsh to Valerie?" Gwen questioned. "Lucifer told me how you talked to her and now I wonder too."

"It has to do with me, doesn't it? You can't just let things go, can you?" Lucifer spat. "If you want to hurt me, do it to my face instead of using my children like a coward!"

"Not everything is about you, Samael," Steve told him in a tired voice. "All I meant to tell Valerie is that if she's patient, she'll have exactly the kind of family she desires. She doesn't _need_ to have a baby right this minute. Or ever. It's not the only way. In fact, Dexter, as you will soon find out, has a better solution."

"Well, you could have said _that_ instead of the other things!" Lucifer hissed. "Valerie is a lot more fragile in certain ways than she lets on."

"I...sometimes I forget that since she does such a good job of hiding it," Steve conceded. "Since I assume she probably doesn't want to see me, please give her my apologies as you go talk to Dexter. He's dying to tell you about his plan to help your daughter."

"Right," Lucifer nodded. "I think it would be best if I left here anyway." He gave Gwen a smile. "Thank you for the coffee, Gwen, and I'm sorry about the..." he waved vaguely in his chest area. "They're very nice by the way."

"What?" Steve asked, his eyes widening.

"Never mind," Lucifer headed for the door. "I'll be going now."

* * *

"So have you and my daughter patched things up?" Lucifer asked Dexter after getting back from his father's. "Or is she still mad?"

"Oh, no, we're fine," Dexter told him. "I know all about how she can't have kids. Doesn't bother me. There are always so many little ones around here that I know I won't ever be without chances to use my dad skills."

"Now, see, that's what I was thinking too!" Lucifer nodded. "So good the two of you worked things out. I never thought I'd say this, but I don't like seeing you fight."

They sat in silence for a few seconds and then Dexter turned, a grin on his face. "Would you be okay with me getting Valerie a dog?" He asked.

"You know you don't have to ask that," Lucifer said. "I'm all right with dogs."

"Even if it's one of my friends' special dogs?" Dexter asked. "Cause Todd's dog just had a litter and..."

"Oh, a _demon_ dog!" Lucifer chuckled. "No wonder you're asking. It's fine. And would you see if you can get two while you're at it? Not saying Adrian and the rest of the crew don't do a marvelous job, but it wouldn't hurt to have a guard dog, don't you agree?"

"Yes," Dexter nodded. "I don't think it would hurt at all." He paused. "You think Valerie would like a dog? Since this is to cheer her up, I want it to be something she actually likes."

"Well, when she and I were at Dad's, she and Pepper got along surprisingly well, so I think a dog would be delightful for her," Lucifer assured him. "Is it going to be a surprise or will you have her help you pick it out?"

"I was thinking you and I could pick it out as a surprise," Dexter told him. "I mean, if you wanted to pick out your new guard dog too. Kill two birds with one stone?"

"Perfect," Lucifer grinned and got up. "Let's do it!"

* * *

"Oh, my gosh, you got me a _puppy?"_ Valerie gave a surprisingly girly shriek of glee as her father and Dexter handed her her new pet after Lucifer passed on Steve's apology. "It's so cute! Where'd you get it?"

"My friend Todd," Dexter said. "She's a demon dog, so be careful. They can be a little temperamental."

"Oh, she's lovely," Valerie cuddled the coal black dog. "She doesn't seem dangerous at all! I'll go show Lily-Eleanor. She'll get a kick out of it. And I'll make sure she doesn't get her little fingers bitten."

Her father and Dexter followed, but came up short when they found that the over eager Valerie had slammed her bedroom door shut. There was a silence and then the door opened again and Valerie stood with a tall redheaded young woman in a gray dress who had deep blue eyes. "Look what happened," Valerie got out. "Little Lily-Eleanor's not so little anymore."

"She sure isn't," Dexter said and went up to her. "Are you okay? Confused? Can I help you in any way? Valerie seems to have zapped you some clothes, so that's a good start."

"Can we call my parents?" Lily-Eleanor asked. "Or Nicky? Should we tell them before they get home?"

"Sure you can call them," Dexter told her. "Come on, let me help you do that." He took her to his room and he handed her his phone. "Go ahead and make any call you need to."

"Thank you," Lily-Eleanor told him. "You're a real life-saver, you know that?"

She called her brother and then her parents, none of whom were particularly shocked.

"It's okay," Vincent assured her. "You're not the first one to go through this. Talking to Dexter was good. And Aunt Valerie. Any of my siblings really. We all went through it. And your mother and I will be home tonight if you're still having trouble adjusting."

"No, I think I'm good," Lily-Eleanor told him. "Now that I know that you guys and Nicky aren't weirded out by it, I'm not troubled at all."

"Good," Vincent told her. "See you tonight, sweetheart. Love you." He paused. "Oh, and give Juliette and Elliot a call. I'm sure they'll be glad to hear you're all grown up now."

"Love you too, Daddy," Lily-Eleanor said. "See you tonight. And I was just about to call them. Wouldn't forget that."

She told him goodbye and then went to get Sarah and Junior's number from her grandmother, who seemed grumpy, even as she gave her a hug.

"Are you okay?" Lily-Eleanor asked. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm not okay, but I'll live," Ellie said, shifting and stretching. "Thank you though, sweetie! Just hurting a little. I'm pregnant. It happens."

As her father had surmised, Juliette was over the moon to hear Lily-Eleanor's news.

"This is so cool! We can get into R-rated movies now! Or we could go to the Underground. I bet your uncle Noah would let us drink!"

"Okay," Lily-Eleanor agreed. "Sounds good to me!"

* * *

"Are you all right?" Lucifer asked Ellie a few days later when her work alarm went off and she refused to move, even after he'd gotten out of the shower. "Usually it's you waking _me_ up! And you _never_ turn down a shower! Are you all right? Do you feel like going to work today?"

"No, don't want to...hurts too much," Ellie got out, managing to turned her head. "You wouldn't mind staying home and doing something to help me forget, would you?" She grinned as best she could despite the fact that she felt like she'd been run over by a truck.

"Oh, if it's really that bad," Lucifer nodded. "It must be if you want to stay home voluntarily. This is good. It'll give Valerie a distraction. And Angelica too."

"Yeah, I guess it will," Ellie remarked and then hit the pillow. "Geez, how long have I been pregnant? Seriously, it seems like it's been a million years!"

"I'm sorry," Lucifer said at last after deciding that 'It sure has' would not be the proper response before reaching out to run his fingers through Ellie's hair. "On the bright side, they have to come out eventually. Eleanor."

"I swear," Ellie huffed. "I mean it when I say you could hit me over the head and operate right now and I wouldn't care. See how big I am? I bet they're ready to come out now and they're just choosing to be difficult!"

Not knowing how to respond to that in a way that would actually help, Lucifer just decided to remove his towel, grab her, and kiss her soundly, hoping that, at least for a little while, her mind would be somewhere else.

And it worked, for a little while. As his hands and lips were all over her body and he was burying himself inside her over and over, she did forget how much she hurt.

"Thank you," She got out as they both panted beside one another after. "That...I needed that."

"So you don't hurt anymore?" Lucifer asked, pulling her to him again. "Good."

"Oh, no, I still hurt," Ellie said. "But it's like...you know when you tell me about what morphine feels like? When you feel the pain, but you also feel so good in other ways that you don't care? That's me right now." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I think I can get out of bed now."

"Are you sure?" Lucifer asked. "We're still not going into the office. Don't feel like you have to be a hero." He got on the house intercom and talked to Vincent and Valerie, who immediately agreed to cover for their parents at the office.

"It'll give me something to do now that I don't have to watch Lily-Eleanor," Vincent said. "Thanks for that."

"No, thank you," Lucifer told him. "I appreciate the help."

"And me too!" Ellie added. Then she put her robe on. "I'm hungry. Let's go eat!"

"When are you not?" Lucifer asked, but he was grinning as he trailed behind her, happy that she seemed to be in better spirits. "And what do you say we go shopping after breakfast? Could you use a few new things?"

"Yes," Ellie said firmly, her grin wide. "Yes, yes I could."


	67. Stepping Into The Unknown

"Noah! Noah!"

Noah opened his eyes and saw Willie staring down at him from the side of his bed. "What?" He grumbled. "Willie, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Willie said. "But Cassidy says we're leaving and I wanted to tell you 'Goodbye'."

Noah's eyes widened. "Leaving? Really, kid?" He turned around and noticed that Cassidy's side of the bed was empty and that all her drawer and closet space was too.

"How did she get out of here without me hearing her?" Noah asked. "With that limp, she can't be sneaky!"

"I helped," Willie said, his voice full of shame and his eyes downcast. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Noah told him. "You just did what she told you to." He paused as the door opened and Cassidy stride in. "You on the other hand...how could you just leave?"

"This was nice but we've abused your hospitality long enough," Cassidy snapped. "We need to go home and don't try to stop us!"

"This _is_ your home!" Noah cried. "What's left for you at that...place?" He sighed. "If you want more money all you have to do is say so."

Cassidy turned. "Willie, go out to my car."

"But..." Willie protested. Then he groaned after Cassidy gave him a look and left.

Then Cassidy gave Noah a push. "It's not about the money, you ass!" She cried. "You can't just throw money at stuff and think it'll all be okay!"

"Did you seriously just push me?" Noah asked. He then gave her a nudge, which of course caused her to fall right into his arms.

"I hate you," she hissed, her face getting closer and closer to his.

"Well, you know what I hate?" Noah questioned. "The fact that you make me feel all of these things and then you just think you can go and leave. Well, no more! You're staying right here!"

"Oh, yeah?" Cassidy's eyes narrowed as she ran her finger over his bottom lip. "Make me!"

"Okay, I will!" Noah shot back and kissed her soundly as his hands roamed her body.

"You'll have to try harder than that!" Cassidy cried when they pulled apart. "Do it again!"

"You want me to go harder?" Noah asked and pushed her down on to the bed. "Okay!"

Soon they were going at it hard, something Roxie was well aware of, cause of course they weren't quiet. So when Willie came back after waiting in the car for several minutes, she was able to say, "I wouldn't go upstairs, kid. Just stay down here. They'll be done soon."

Willie grinned. "If they're doing stuff that means I can't go upstairs, do you think that means I won't have to go back to the other place and I can stay here forever?"

"Oh, I hope so," Roxie nodded. "I think I'd miss you if you left."

They waited for a little longer and then Roxie finally told him to go upstairs.

He did so and opened the apartment door just as Noah and Cassidy were straightening up their clothes.

"What are you doing here, Willie?" Cassidy asked when she saw him. "I thought I told you to stay in the car. We're leaving right now!"

"I couldn't stay in the car cause you were taking too long and I was bored!" Willie informed her. "If you want to stay, just say so!" He went to stretch out on the sofa with a grin on his face. "I wouldn't mind."

"I would," Cassidy said firmly. "We've abused Noah's hospitality long enough." She began striding toward the door and Willie nudged Noah.

"Don't just stand there," he cried. "Do something! She's getting away!" He then ran and stood in front of the door. "Stop her quick! I don't think I can hold on for long!"

Noah grabbed hold of Cassidy. "Listen to the kid. He clearly doesn't want you to go."

"It's just Willie that doesn't want me to go?" Cassidy asked. "That's all you have to say? That's the only reason I shouldn't leave?" She pulled away. "Let me go, that's not enough of a reason. I won't stay here for a man who only sees me as some pretty object to throw money at."

There was a silence as the two of them stared at each other.

"Go ahead and say it!" Willie whispered emphatically to Noah. "Tell her you like her too!"

"I will, kid," Noah assured him.

"You will?" Cassidy asked in surprise. "You really mean it?"

"I mean I will say it," Noah nodded, taking her face in his hands.

"I'm gonna go now," Willie said and opened the door. "I think I hear Roxie calling me."

Neither Noah nor Cassidy heard anything, but they were grateful for the privacy.

"Now, you were saying?" Cassidy asked. "And are you saying this just because you don't want me to go, or because you really mean it?"

"Can't it be both?" Noah asked. "I don't want you to go _because_ I really mean it." He paused. "I...I love you and I don't want you to go. I want you and Willie to stay with me." he pulled her to him and rocked her gently back and forth. "Please? Now that I've said it, does it even matter? Does it change anything? Or am I still just some spineless bastard who only thinks of you as an object?"

Cassidy looked him in the eye. His expression never wavered. He never blinked. It was up to her, she knew. She just had to decide what she wanted.

"I...maybe I was a bit harsh when I said you were a spineless bastard who only thinks of me as an object," she said. "I...in your own way, I think you really like me and Willie. But if...if I'm gonna stay for the reasons that you say, you have to, at some point, be open about it to people, all right? No more going up to your family at special occasions and telling them that the only reason why I'm with you is because you paid me cause I know it's not the truth and it hurts my feelings!"

"I'm sorry," Noah quickly apologized. "If you stay, the first thing I'll do is take you to breakfast at my house and we can tell everyone."

"Is that a promise?" Cassidy questioned. "You won't take it back when it's time to do it and we're standing in front of people?"

"No, I won't," Noah shook his head. "Cause I love you and I'm finally ready for other people to know."

This made Cassidy smile and hug him harder. "I know I like all the money and the pretty things but this is what I want the most cause I can do it for you too. And I will."

"But let me guess," Noah grinned and kissed her hair. "You want me to go first."

"Yes," Cassidy nodded. "I want you to go first."

They cuddled against each other for a moment and then broke apart when they heard a knock at the door.

"You can come in now, Willie," Cassidy called. "We're staying."

The door opened and revealed Roxie and Willie on the other side with a tray supporting drinks. They were both grinning broadly. "We thought so," Roxie said. "Champagne or sparkling grape juice, anyone?"

* * *

"So where should we go this time?" Juliette asked Lily-Eleanor. "Please don't say your uncle's club. We go there every time. It's starting to get boring!"

"Well, first, no it's not," Lily-Eleanor told her. "Second, I met some guys. They have motorcycles! They're really hot and dangerous too! Nice change of pace for the daughters of upright doctors and teachers and whatnot. We need the excitement."

"I agree," Juliette said. "You have such good ideas!" They headed out the door and ran into Sean and Sarah, who were pulling into the driveway to go in for a lunch break.

"Why don't you two eat before you go?" Sarah offered. "I have a mango smoothie and spinach and strawberry salad I'll share. And your dad seems to have gotten an extra hamburger."

"No, we're fine, Mom, thanks," Juliette said. "We're just...meeting some guys."

"What are their names?" Junior asked.

"It's no one bad!" Juliette cried. "Stop being suspicious!"

"Oh, seriously?" Junior groaned. "Don't tell me you're doing this. I was that guy. Your grandpa hated me." He looked at Sarah. "Wanna tell her?"

"I don't know if she'll listen," Sarah replied. "I mean, did I?"

"Well, no, but at least your dad knew me even though he hated me," Junior pointed out. He looked at Juliette. "You wanna tell us these guys' names at least?"

"No," Juliette shook her her head. "Not really cause it's my business. I'm more responsible than you realize. Just trust me to deal with it if something bad happens, all right? I _am_ a supernatural being, after all. It's not like anything can kill me."

Sarah and Junior just gave each other a look. They wanted so badly to stop Juliette from doing whatever it was she wanted to do because there was no doubt it wouldn't end well. But they also knew they would sound like major hypocrites if they took preventative action.

"I'm surprised you're still standing there," Junior told her as she watched. "It's like you care to hear our answer or something. I thought you would just run off."

"Oh, I intend to," Juliette replied as Lily-Eleanor motioned furiously for her to get in the car. "Bye!"

"Do you feel as bad about this as I do?" Sarah asked him as they watched the young women drive away.

"I do," Junior nodded with a heavy sigh. "Let's just hope that either nothing happens, or if it does, some kind passerby will come along to stop it."

"Amen," Sarah nodded as they finally got out of the car and took their food inside the house to eat it.

* * *

"We really pulled one over on your parents," Lily-Eleanor giggled and whispered to Juliette as they waited for their dates to park their bikes. "I really thought they were gonna stop us."

"I did too," Juliette agreed. "Maybe my parents are cooler than I realized!"

Then the guys came back. They both had dark hair, dark eyes, wicked smiles and a couple of days worth of stubble on their faces. Lily-Eleanor's date quickly took her away, leaving Juliette to stare at the man she'd been paired with.

"You know, you're really pretty," he said. "And you've got a nice ass."

"I could say the same about you," Juliette replied. "I saw it when you got on your bike." She didn't protest as he cupped her bottom and pulled her close, kissing her gently and then hungrily, kisses she returned. But when she felt him slip his hand under her skirt and pull at her panties, that was too much. She gave him a good hard slap, then he did the same to her, sending her stumbling to the ground, where he quickly pinned her, his eyes filling her world. She tried to magic him away but she was so scared that she couldn't remember one spell.

Then she gasped as strong hands pulled the weasel off her and began beating him to a bloody pulp while he screamed and begged for mercy.

She whispered a half-hearted 'Stop' but really was more interested in watching this show of power and ferocity. She'd never seen anything like it.

When her assailant was still enough that he was probably dead, the man turned and advanced on her.

"Don't hurt me," she told him. "You touch me I'll hurt you!"

He then growled, pulled her to her feet, and she punched him then. "You see, I told you," She said. "You touch me, I hurt you. You're as bad as he is. Did you want me for yourself?"

The figure who didn't even seem human gave her a shake. "Don't be more stupid than you can help," he snaped. Then he really looked at her and his eyes widened.

"Oh."

"What?" Juliette asked.

"No," he shook his head. "You can't...you can't be her. It's been too long."

"Who?" Juliette questioned.

"No one," Josh said and picked her up to carry her away as she yelled and swore in protest. "You're not supposed to be here. Get out."

"You can't tell me what to do!" Juliette cried and pounded on his shoulders. "Put me down! I'm a person, not a sack of potatoes!"

"You could have fooled me," he said. "With how things were going back there, it seems like you have the intelligence of a sack of potatoes. What were you thinking, coming here?"

"Oh we're just here to have a little fun," Juliette told him. "Mind your own damn business!"

"You've invaded my home so it _is_ my damn business!" The man snapped. "Where is your car? Or however it is that you got here? No one is even allowed here, so you get in your car, you drive to your safe little home with your mommy and daddy, and you forget you ever saw this place. Or that you saw my face. Do you understand?"

"You're disgusting!" Juliette shouted. "Don't think I want to stay here with you another minute!"

The man scoffed. "I can't believe I saved the life of a brat who won't even say 'Thank you'."

"I could have saved myself!" Juliette cried. "I didn't need you!"

"Right," the man chuckled as he reached the car. "Whatever you say, sweetheart!"

He threw her in the backseat just as a shocked Lily-Eleanor appeared.

"Get away from my friend!" She cried and began pummeling the bigger man. "You leave her alone!"

"If it weren't for me, your friend would be in bad shape," the man told her wryly, his dark eyes glinting. "It was a close call, so like I was telling her, I think it would be best for the two of you to get in your car and go home to your mommies before something else bad happens. Oh, and don't come back here, either."

"Let's just go," Juliette said from the backseat. "I'm too tired. I can't deal with this anymore."

"All right," Lily-Eleanor told her while the red-head's eyes stayed on Josh. "Let's go."

And as they drove away, Josh called, "Good riddance! And remember what I said about not _ever_ coming back!"


	68. Upsetting The Balance

Sammy was watching TV when the doorbell rang. He went over and put his hand on the doorknob before calling out, "Who is it?"

"It's Angelica," her voice called as he grinned and unzipped his pants. "I know I didn't call or anything, but can I come in?"

Sammy grinned and opened the door. "Well, if it isn't my babe and my baby!" He smiled and ushered her inside. "Not that I really care, but what brings you here? Was it me?"

"Well, not in the way you want," Angie winced and put a hand on her stomach. "My tummy's been hurting all day. Can you make me something?"

"Oh, sure," Sammy nodded, his features softening. He zipped his pants up and kissed her before heading over to the fridge. "What do you want?"

"Could I have an omelet?" Angelica asked, wincing again and plodding over to the kitchen table. "Damn, that breakfast I had this morning must really not be agreeing with me!"

"Do you need the bathroom?" Sammy asked. "If you have to puke, that's okay."

"No, not that," Angie shook her head, her eyes widening as she got up and looked at the chair. "Oh, damn," she said, feeling that her skirt was damp and knowing what that meant. It was suddenly clear as pain washed over her. "Never mind the eggs...baby, now..."

Sammy watched her collapse on the floor, the flirty smirk disappearing from his face. "Angie?" He asked as he got down beside her and gave her a shake. "Babe, should I call the doctor? Can you get up? Can you walk?"

"No, I don't want to risk it," Angie groaned. "Plus it might complicate the baby's living arrangements if we have to explain it all. I'll just...have the baby here." She paused. "Unless that's intimidating to you..."

"What do you think I am, an idiot?" Sammy asked. "I read up on all that stuff just in case. I can get you through anyway. And you're welcome!" He zapped up an inflatable mattress for her to lie on and she zapped herself into a bathrobe and continued to scream and curse him.

"This is the worst pain I have experienced ever!" She yelled with tears in her eyes. "I'm never letting you touch me again, damn you!"

Then her stomach gave a heave. "Trash can!" She yelled. "I think I'm gonna be sick!"

Despite the fact that she had just insulted him, Sammy heaved a big sigh and zapped up a trash can just in time for her to puke in it.

Mercifully, her labor didn't last for too many hours, but there was still one more humiliation for Angie to endure once the baby was out and Sammy had a grip on him.

"Did I...I did I just pee myself?" She asked. "Tell me I didn't!"

"Yep, you did," he told her. "But don't worry; I won't tell anyone!"

He then cuddled his son, zapped him clean, wrapped him up, and forgot about Angie as he stared into the little baby's eyes.

 _He'd known from the beginning that he was gonna have a son. He'd felt it in his guts, and had even barged into Angie's ultrasound to ask what she needed it for._

 _"I want to prove to you that you're wrong," she said. "We're not having a boy."_

 _"Actually, you are," the technician had told her and pointed at the screen. "You see there? Look closely and you'll see boy parts."_

 _"Ha!" Sammy cried. "See, I told you I was right!"_

 _"And who are you?" The technician asked. "We don't condone strangers just storming into clients' appointments. Leave quietly so I don't have to have you escorted out."_

 _"Actually," Angie flushed, "He...he can stay." She heaved a big sigh. "He's the father. I just thought he would be too busy to come so I didn't say anything."_

 _"Well, I wasn't gonna miss finding out I had a son," Sammy told her. "No matter how much I guess you wanted me to." He frowned. "You really_ are _a piece of work, you know that?" He scoffed and turned on his heel. "But now that I got what I came for, I'll get out of your hair. Goodbye!"_

Hearing that he had a son was cool, but looking at him now, especially with his dark, stick up hair, he just...it was even better.

"Hey!" Angie cried and broke the spell. "Don't you think we should be going to a doctor?"

"I thought you said you didn't want to!" Sammy cried.

"Well, I changed my mind," Angie huffed. "Let's call my grandpa and he can take us."

"Yes, your highness," Sammy muttered through gritted teeth.

"What?" Angie asked. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Sammy told her and handed her the baby. "I know you hate children but if you want your grandpa called, you have to watch him. And don't worry about forming any sort of attachment. Your heart is so cold now that it probably won't happen."

Angie sighed and took the baby, struggling against all softer emotions, marveling internally at how he reminded her of Sammy with his stick up dark hair, and how someone so small could have made her so fat.

* * *

Once Junior arrived and they all piled into his car, Sammy held his son close after his mother gave him back (with reluctance she hoped didn't show) and shot Angie dirty looks while Angie did her best to ignore him by staring out the window. Junior was concerned, but figured it would be better to stay out of it, so he said nothing.

When they got to the hospital and got Angie settled in bed, the doctors came and they got the birth certificate taken care of, and then Angie turned over on her side, looking away from him.

"He's yours now," she told him, trying not to cry, even though hot tears escaped her eyes anyway. "You...you can take him."

He knew that this was her answer, at least for now, and that it wouldn't change. But he had to try one more time, even though it was crazy to. "Are you sure?" He asked. "That choice isn't set in stone, you know. I know it's scary, but...we'll be together. We'll be a family. Wouldn't you like that?"

"No, damn it!" Angie yelled. "Don't you get it? I don't want you, and I don't want the baby! I have a life to live and you're both...you'll both just be in the way!"

Sammy narrowed his eyes and growled as he held his son protectively. He wouldn't let the boy leave his sight until he absolutely had to. "Well, that won't be a problem," he said. "Shane and I will be perfectly all right by ourselves. Good thing he won't turn into a bitter, neurotic mess like you! You not being around is actually doing him a favor! I hope you stay true to your word and we never see you again!"

"Shane?" Angie burst out. It was not the name she would have picked. "You named him _Shane_?"

"Yeah," Sammy nodded. "And if you don't like it, who gives a crap? I take care of him, I name him. Goodbye!" He stormed out with their son in his arms and when he was gone, Angie buried her head in her pillow and, at last, cried for what she'd done, the decision she'd felt she had to make. It was for the best, she told herself. Shane would be better without her. They both would. She'd done them a favor, even if they didn't see it now.

* * *

"Isn't it interesting how you and Lisa are pregnant at the same time?" Jeff asked Ellie. He'd come to visit Lee and was occupying himself while Lee attended to a very sick Lisa, who, Jeff know, was supernatural, so the only reason she would be so ill was if she was pregnant.

"Lisa's pregnant too?" Ellie's eyes widened. "Since when? I thought she just had the flu!" She paused. "But she's also a vampire, so..." she flushed and looked at Jeff. "Sorry, what were you saying? I promised myself I wouldn't be as rude to you as my husband was, but you know how he is with things related to his dad. And since you know Him and all..." She chuckled.

"Oh, it's fine," Jeff sighed. "I expected it." He reached a hand toward her belly and then pulled it back. "May I?" He asked.

"Yes," Ellie nodded.

"There's a giri in there," Jeff remarked as he rested his hand lightly on her belly. "She's gonna look like her father..."

"And a boy, too!" Ellie smiled. "What will he look like?"

"I couldn't tell you," Jeff replied, his tone serious. "I just really sense your daughter."

"Oh," Ellie nodded and put a hand to her belly, unsure of what that exactly meant. She then breathed a sigh of relief when she felt one kick and then another. There were still two babies taking up residence in her belly, so Jeff was definitely not saying that only her daughter was alive. Then she sighed and cursed internally. It was good that they were both alive, but would it kill them to be alive _outside_ of her body? She'd gotten pregnant before Angelica so why the hell had her daughter given birth while she was still carrying babies? It wasn't fair!

"Why are you frowning?" Jeff asked her as she relaxed her hands so they were no longer fists. "What's the matter?"

She was saved having to come up with a response to that when Lee led a pale and tired Lisa out to the living room. She was immediately overcome with empathy for poor, sick Lisa.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Ellie asked. "Don't worry, the first months of pregnancy are always the hardest, especially if it's your first time. It'll get better, though. I promise."

Lisa's head snapped up, her eyes wide and what little color was there draining from her cheeks. "What?" She asked. "I'm not pregnant! Why would you say that? I just have the flu!"

Sensing she had erred, Ellie quickly nodded. "Right, the flu. It just...it seems like you're going through a lot of what I go through when I'm pregnant, so I thought...you know what, sorry. Ignore me! Can I get you a clear soda or crackers or something to give Lee time to talk with his friend?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Lee told Ellie.

"I insist," Ellie told him.

"All right, thank you," Lee said. Then he looked at Lisa. "If that's all right with you."

"Sure," Lisa nodded. "Just as long as someone helps, I don't care who."

They went to the kitchen as Lee settled down with Jeff to catch up.

"Seems like things are going well with Lisa," Jeff smiled. "Are you two planning on starting a family at some point?"

"Yes," Lee nodded. "We're still debating about when. I'm for sooner rather than later and she wants to wait. We'll see."

"Yes, you will," Jeff nodded. "The Lord works in mysterious ways."

"He sure does," Lee nodded. "He sure does."

* * *

Though she had been certain she just had the flu before her talk with Ellie, in the days after, Lisa got to thinking that she could be wrong and Ellie could be right. After all, she _was_ part vampire and when did vampires just get the flu?

"So...do you think your mom is right?" Lisa asked Valerie as the two of them walked her new puppy, who she'd named Nyx after the Greek goddess of darkness. "What if I am?"

"We can go to the store and get the test once Nixie is done with her walk," Valerie suggested. "Then you'll know."

"Am I a bad person for thinking that I hope I'm not?" Lisa asked. "I mean, I know you probably think I'm totally selfish, considering your situation, but..."

"Hey, you won't get any judgment from me," Valerie shrugged. "I mean, I'm still a little bummed that I can't have kids, but now that I have this adorable puppy, it's not...I don't feel so bad."

"I'm surprised she's so gentle," Lisa reached out and scratched the dog's ears as Valerie picked the puppy up and kissed her head. "I thought hellhounds were supposed to be mean, mean, mean!"

"Oh, they are, by and large," Valerie nodded. "But Dexter says that sometimes you get a nice one, and that's what this girl was. She was the runt too, in addition to being the gentle one, and was getting beat up a lot by her brothers and sisters. You should have seen her when she was first brought home. Covered in so many bites...it was so sad!"

"But she seems so much happier now!" Lisa said, amazed by this. "I wouldn't have guessed if you hadn't told me!"

"Yeah," Valerie nodded. "Dad bought the one that went after her the most to guard the house. Todd was so glad we wanted to take Nixie because although it's against his policy to kill the runty ones cause people usually don't want them, it's harder to find them homes."

"Well, she's very lucky to have you and Dexter," Lisa smiled.

"Thanks," Valerie smiled. They walked the dog and played with her for a little while longer, then took her home and went to get a box of pregnancy tests. It didn't take long for Ellie's guess to be confirmed.

"So...yes or no?" Valerie asked. But she could tell by the look on Lisa's face.

"Yes," Lisa breathed, feeling sick to her stomach again. "But don't tell anyone. Keep it just between us for now. Please?"

"Of course," Valerie nodded and gave her a hug. "No one will hear it from me. It's your secret to tell, not mine."

"Thank you," Lisa gave her a small smile as her nausea suddenly eased. "You're the best, Valerie!"

* * *

"I like what you've done with the place!" Jeff heard the voice as he turned the lights to the living room on, let out a gasp and fell to his knees when he saw Steve lounging on the sofa.

"Sorry, my Lord," he apologized with his head to the ground. "If I'd have known you were coming..."

"Don't you dare be sorry," Steve told him, gesturing for the other man to come sit beside him. "And Jeff, what have I told you about the 'My Lord' business? When I'm down here, you can call me Steve, just like everyone else."

"I'm a priest," Jeff told him. "I don't know if I'll be able to do that, but I'll try."

"Thank you," Steve said and got up. "You've made a real home here."

"I have," Jeff nodded and sat down at the edge of the sofa. "I _do_ like this place, even though I don't understand why you would give it to me...or let me be a priest, even though I'm..." He showed his demon face. "You know."

"I sensed love and devotion in you," Steve said firmly. "How could I pass that up, regardless of what you are?"

"Thank you for answering my question and taking it as curiosity and not a lack of faith," Jeff told him after morphing back to human. "Cause I have lots of faith, I promise."

"Good, you're going to need it," Steve told him. "Lots of hardship coming up for you."

"Oh, how wonderful," Jeff let out a sigh. "But I'm sure it's for a good reason."

"When is it not?" Steve questioned. "I'll need you to help my granddaughter."

"Teach her everything she needs to know to be a forthright citizen of the world?" Jeff asked. "I can do that."

"Yes," Steve sighed heavily, knowing that Jeff had a big job ahead of him. "That's one way to put it."


	69. No Longer Too Proud To Beg

"So...what do you need to talk about today?" Amy asked Angie, whose face was red and puffy as she came to her session. "More about Sammy? Or your baby? You must have some feelings about that." She paused. "Have things improved since you gave birth, or...?"

"No, in fact, I think we're broken up for good, which is okay with me because...because it's better for them. He finally did what I thought he would do and pushed me away because he can't love!" Angelica proclaimed as she sat down and took a few tissues from the box on the coffee table.

"I know you might not like my saying this, but I believe you might be projecting," Amy said. "We've talked about Sammy a lot and from what you've told me, he's at least tried to make an effort. _You're_ the one who's always held him at a distance and been cruel and harsh."

"I only did it so he wouldn't do it to me!" Angie defended herself.

"Do you really think he would?" Amy asked. "Do you really think he can't love? I don't think that's true. Because no matter how much you think you don't want your child, I sincerely believe that if you truly thought Sammy was a loveless monster, you wouldn't have left that kid with him for a minute!"

"True," Angie conceded. "And let's say, just for the sake of argument, that you're right about me and what I did...that I'm the problem. How do I make it better? I've ruined everything!"

"Tell him you're sorry," Amy said firmly.

"What?" Angelica asked. "That's it? No. He won't accept just that!"

"He might," Amy shrugged. "He's not a hard guy to deal with and in his own way, he really loves you. Get over yourself and try it."

Angelica sighed. She _wanted_ to believe Amy. It would make things a lot easier. But at the same time, she was well aware of how she had treated Sammy, and couldn't shake the feeling that no one, not even someone as easy-going as Sammy, would forgive her for all she'd done if all she did to make up for it was apologize. Especially after they'd both bitterly shouted at each other that they never wanted to see each other again.

* * *

"I need some advice," Angie said to Ellie as she made her way into her mother's library, where her mother was making fish faces at the goldfish in the bowl. She went to touch Ellie on the shoulder, causing her mother to start violently and nearly whack the bowl off the table.

"Oh, geez, you scared me!" Ellie cried, turning and putting a hand over her heart.

"Well, if I would have known I was interrupting time between you and your friend, I would have waited," Angelica replied and bent down to look. "Is this Fishy? How is he not dead?"

"Well...Josh made him for me with magic, so...either he can't die at all or he's got serious longevity." Ellie shrugged. "I haven't decided yet." She led Angelica to the sofa of the dimly lit room. "What can I do for you?"

"Are you...are you and Dad mad about how things went down with Sammy?" Angelica asked. "I know I didn't handle it as well as I could have but...there are so many things that I would have wanted to work out before I had a kid, like how to balance work and parenthood so that neither one suffered while I was doing the other." She sighed. "You know work's important to me. That's not wrong, is it?"

"No, it's not wrong at all," Ellie replied with a shake of her head. "You just need to learn how to maneuver a bit. And if I may say, I'm proud that you're handling this like my mother and not like my dad."

"At first I handled it like your dad," Angelica reminded her. " _I_ ran away."

"Yes, but now you're realizing that you want to change your situation, so that's good," Ellie told her. "There's nothing wrong with being scared or uncertain or feeling like you aren't ready. Sometimes you just need to separate yourself from the situation a little and clear your head."

"Yeah, that seemed to work well enough for you," Angelica nodded and gave her mother a hug. "So...how did Grandma handle it with you? I mean, juggling you and work? Didn't she leave you with her parents?"

"Yep, she did," Ellie nodded. "She'd leave me with Grandma and Grandpa during the day and then take care of me when I got back." Ellie smiled and gave a chuckle. "Grandpa always said she was so happy to see me when she got home. She'd pick me up and run off with me and they'd be lucky if they saw either one of us again for the rest of the night." She paused. "Sammy works at home, right?"

"Yeah," Angie nodded. "I mean, sometimes he has to travel but that's not often."

"That's easy then," Ellie smiled. "You can leave Shane with him during the day and you can take the night shift. All your bases are covered."

"True, but I'm still wondering if he'll even talk to me now, which will have to happen if we want this plan to work. Amy says it will and that I just need to get off my butt and apologize, but I'm still not sure if it's good enough."

"It worked for your dad..." Ellie reminded her. "Listen to Amy. Give it a shot. You might be surprised."

"Speaking of Dad," Angelica remarked as she made her way to the library door, "is he mad about what I did? Should I assure him that I'm going back?"

"You can if it would put your mind at ease," Ellie nodded. "But he went through this same thing with me and didn't blame me at all and I'm sure you'll have the same benefit of the doubt."

"Okay," Angelica took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her long dark hair. "Thanks, Mom. And thanks for the pep talk. It really helped."

"Good, I'm glad," her mother told her, and went back to making faces at her fish as Angelica headed out of the library and shut the door behind her.

* * *

"I thought you should know that I'm going back to Sammy and Shane," Angelica told her father after he invited her into his office. "I'm scared because I don't know if it'll work or not, but Mom and Amy both say I should at least give it a try."

"Well, good for you," Lucifer smiled. "I'm very proud!"

"I thought you'd want to know," Angelica nodded. "I...I know you don't exactly like it when people leave their kids."

"True," Lucifer nodded. "And if I hadn't gone through the same thing with your mother, you'd probably hear something about it from me. But...but you're very much like her so I knew the second you came home that it was just a break to get your head together and that you weren't rejecting the boy for good."

"Okay," Angelica took a breath. "Good. I was worried about that."

"So...are you leaving now?" Lucifer questioned, rising gracefully from his chair. "Would you like me to help you get anything you want to take back with you?"

"No, no, not yet," Angelica shook her head. "I need to think of a way to ease into it. Sammy and I ended things on a pretty lousy note, so just showing up...I don't think that would work."

"Well, when you think of a way, let me know," her father told her. "I'll do anything I can to help."

"Thank you," Angelica smiled and hugged him. "Thank you very much."

* * *

Angelica slept fitfully as thoughts of angry Sammy and crying Shane invaded her head, until finally, she got an idea. Her mother had told her about what had happened with her and Vincent and Valerie and how she'd finally snuck over to see them one night when everyone was asleep. That was a good idea. She could make herself feel less guilty and not have to face Sammy yet. It was a win-win!

Because her name was still on the deed to the house, she was able to zap herself inside. Everything was quiet. What a lucky break! She tiptoed around the house and then passed through the living room, where a loud snort from the sofa made her jump violently and nearly let out a shriek.

Then she realized the snore came from a soundly sleeping Sammy. She got closer to him than had in a while, kissed his forehead, ruffled his hair, and whispered, "Goodnight, Handsome."

Then he moved and she thought she heard a mumbled "Goodnight, babe," from Sammy, who was still asleep, as she went in search of the baby's room.

Interesting, she told herself, some weight leaving her shoulders. His response to affectionate words, even unconsciously, was to mutter as if he was well aware that it she was doing the talking. Could that mean there was still hope for them yet? That even in spite of all the venom they'd spewed back and forth and all the trouble she'd caused, they'd be able to live together as a family? As she searched for her baby, she hoped so. It was all that she wanted.

She found the cracked open nursery door quite quickly and there was a soft cooing issuing from inside. She went in and found Shane wide awake and squirming.

"Hey, there," she smiled and tickled his tummy. "You're supposed to be asleep like your daddy, young man!"

But he just reached chubby little arms toward her. She sighed, smiled and picked him up. Then her eyes caught a note above the changing table. It read: **Feeding Schedule For Shane.**

She looked it over and realized that it was almost time for a feeding. "That's probably why you're up," she said knowingly. She sat down in a rocking chair and pulled down the straps of her night gown so that her boobs were exposed. "Now, I'm not the best at this, so you'll have to forgive me," she told him. But he began nursing quite readily while she tried not to drop him.

Then she heard a voice at the doorway. "Lucky boy our son is," Sammy said in a croaky voice. "Can I have a turn next? You really have beautiful boobs."

Angie thought of telling him that he was hallucinating. But that was counterproductive. "Well, all right," she said with a grin. "But he doesn't seem like he's ready to let go yet."

"Well, that's fine," Sammy grinned and came to stand nearby. "I can wait."

He came up behind her and played with her hair until Shane had finally had enough. Then she burped him and put him back in his crib before turning back to Sammy.

"I...I honestly hoped I would just be able to sneak in and sneak out without running into you because I'm a big coward," she said. "I thought that if we ran into each other, you would yell at me and throw me out."

Sammy nodded. "I probably would have if you'd tried to come back after our fight, but it's been long enough that I've calmed down." He paused. "So...what made you want to come back? Guilt over Shane?"

"Not...no...kinda," Angelica get out and felt herself begin to sniffle. "It was more about _you,_ actually. I talked with Amy, told her my fears about your and my relationship since you changed. About how I was scared that you wouldn't love me and would be mean and cruel. But then she said... she said that it seemed like it was _you_ that had made the effort and that I was the cruel one. I thought about and I...I realized she was right. I know what I'm about to say won't be enough, but...I'm sorry. Oh, my _gosh_ , am I sorry!"

She collapsed in his arms and tried to cry quietly because Shane, it seemed, had finally fallen asleep.

Sammy waited until she finally caught her breath and was looking up at him hopefully. "Did you...did I hear correctly that you just apologized to me?"

"Yeah," Angelica nodded. "I did. I...I don't want to be alone and I love you and Shane very much, so...whatever else you need me to do, I'll do it." She actually got down on her knees and was preparing to beg when he picked her up and held her close.

"No, you don't need to do that," he promised. "An apology was really all I wanted. Some acknowledgement of how you were making me feel and that it wasn't fair or right. And you've given me that."

"You think I have?" Angie sniffled. "You don't just think I'm saying it to have my way?"

"Well, _are_ you?" Sammy questioned.

"No," Angie shook her head. "I really mean it!"

"Well, there you go," Sammy smiled. "What are you fussing about?" He picked her up bridal style and carried her to bed. "You're not making any sense now so I think you need to get some sleep." He paused. "Would you be opposed to sleeping in my bed?"

"Don't you mean _our_ bed?" Angie corrected.

"Right," Sammy nodded and set her down on it, kissing top of her head. " _Our_ bed."

She smiled as he tucked her in and got beside her to hold her close. "I know I was mad before," he whispered. "But I'm _really_ glad you came back."

"I'm glad I came back too," she nodded. "Thanks for being such a good sport and not throwing me out!"

"I want you here," he said firmly. "And I want to be with you, especially now that I know you want to be with me, so I will not be throwing you out any time soon. Now go to sleep."

"Okay," Angie nodded, getting as close to him as she could (which wasn't much cause she was already close) and shutting her eyes as his arms closed around her tighter and her body relaxed into sleep as the sound of his steady breathing filled her ears.

* * *

When Angie awoke, the sun was pouring through the windows. She was about to get up and check on Shane when she heard a voice.

"Look Shane, your mommy _is_ awake! Who knew she was such a sleepyhead! Let's say 'Hello'!" She blinked a couple of times and realized that Sammy was on the bed beside her, cradling Shane in his arms and grinning at her as the baby stared.

"Morning," she said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sleep in and make you do all the baby stuff."

"It's okay," he said and put the baby between them. "You can watch him while I make breakfast."

"Okay," Angie smiled and took her son's little hand to kiss it while Sammy rubbed his tummy. "Sounds good to me!"

She expected him to get up and leave at that point, but instead, he just rested on his side like she was, and they both played with their baby, each feeling content and whole for the first time in who knew how long, while Angie also made a mental note to call her father and tell him that she was ready to have her stuff sent home.


	70. The Risks Of Honesty

After her parents had gone to bed, Juliette tiptoed from her bedroom to the kitchen, zapped some clothes on, grabbed her dad's car keys from the table by the door and got in his car, driving in the darkness and not knowing exactly where it was she was going. But she'd paid enough attention to make an educated guess when Lily-Eleanor had had the wheel and soon, she found herself in a familiar, isolated place.

It was dark and quiet, there was barely any light and not even a sound, except for the occasional owl.

Not knowing where the handsome ruffian who had so rudely shooed her away lived, she just stood around and waited, standing against a wall until someone came up behind her and she let out a shriek.

"What did I say about coming back here?" He hissed, shining a flashlight in her eyes. "You just don't learn. I've met stubborn women like you before."

"This place doesn't belong to you!" She got out, sounding braver than she felt as he got right up in her face. His breath was surprisingly minty as it brushed her face, trying to frighten her. But she didn't budge. "I can come and go if I wish!"

"Not if you don't want to encounter anyone dangerous," he told her, his fingers running over her bottom lip. "I could be dangerous." He pulled her against him, his hands on her butt as he whispered in her ear, "I could take you against this wall right now and no one would be any the wiser."

She was frightened, he could tell, because he was up close, but anyone who was watching from a distance wouldn't be able to tell. She was holding herself really well...almost like...no. He had to stop thinking about her. Not everything reminded him of _her._

"You're all talk, mister," she got out. "If you're gonna do something to me, do it! I can take it, you...you...do you make a habit of scaring women, you monster? Does it make you feel good?"

"I don't," the figure shook his head. "Because usually, people, both men and women, are smart enough to stay away from where they aren't wanted. You seem to be a foolish exception." He leaned in closer and could smell her. It was good. Made his heart race. He ran his finger down her neck and even cupped her boob.

Then she gave him a slap. "Back off!" She said.

"Scared now, are we?" He smiled. "Not so brave anymore?"

"Oh, I'm plenty brave when I need to be,"' Juliette shouted. "Now make up your mind! If you're not gonna have your way with me, let me go so I can go home!" She grinned slowly. "Are you still scared? It's okay. You can admit it. I won't tell anyone."

Josh let out a growl, grabbed her by the hair, and kissed her soundly as his free hand roamed over her body. After he pulled away, they were both staring at each other, breathing heavily.

"Is that all you got?" She asked. "That was nothing!"

So Josh pushed her back up against the wall, pushed up her skirt, and gave her a look, as Juliette whispered, "Do it, do it!"

"I am," Josh assured her, baring his teeth. "This is something you're not gonna forget, baby."

She then grinned wider and helped him undo his pants as he worked to get her panties off, and then began pushing into her as she pretended to yell and scream as if she was suffering horribly.

It wasn't so bad though. For all his talk, he was holding back for some reason.

After they were done, they clutched each other and breathed heavily as he slowly bent down and handed her her panties, watched her put them on, and gave her a spank and a push before ordering her back to her car. Looking into her eyes had brought back feelings that he didn't want to feel, and only sending her away would make things normal again.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!" She cried. "You don't have to push! And let me guess: you don't want me to come back?"

"Oh, why bother saying it," Josh snapped. "You'll do what you want."

"Damn right I will," Juliette nodded. "And don't you forget it."

* * *

When the front door slammed shut, signaling Juliette had returned, both Sarah and Junior, who had been staring in that direction, went back to their poker cards. "Did you say you wanted three?" Sarah asked her husband.

"Yes, please," Junior said.

"You don't have to pretend," Juliette told them. "I know you were waiting up for me."

"Well, what do you expect us to do when you run off like that?" Sarah cried. "What were you thinking?"

"What she means is, 'Is everything okay? All right?'" Junior correct as Sarah glared. "You don't look hurt."

"I ran into some trouble but some guy...person...actually I don't know what the hell he is, saved me," Juliette explained.

"A man?" Junior asked. "You shouldn't be with any men. You're too young!"

"You can't tell me what to do, you hypocrite!" Juliette cried. "If you did it, I can do it!"

She then stalked off and Junior just glared at Sarah. "You wanna go talk to your daughter?" He asked impatiently. "It doesn't seem like she wants to listen to me."

"Oh, I'm not getting involved," Sarah shook her head. "You got yourself into this."

Junior scowled and scoffed. "I cannot believe you're on her side! Don't you understand the consequences of what she's done?"

"I don't know what you mean," Sarah said. "She went out, she came back unharmed, let's just let it go and not risk making things worse."

"What kind of a parent does that?" Junior cried. "Not a responsible one!"

"Oh, you want to be a parent now?" Sarah asked. "Since it seems so easy now, why couldn't you have done it with Ellie?"

"Because you were with your precious Josh at the time!" Junior snapped. "And I didn't want to ruin that!"

"Oh, you could have ruined it if you wanted to!" Sarah cried. "I wouldn't have minded! You're just using Josh as a way to get out of responsibility for being a coward! You should be ashamed!"

This made Junior rise to his feet. "If I wasn't, do you think I would have started paying you child support and come back at all?" He asked. "Do you?"

Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but didn't know how to reply to that, cause he had a point. "All right," she conceded. "You have a good point. I'm sorry."

"Well, I hope so," Junior nodded and stood up, putting his cards down and heaving a deep sigh. "You know what, it's been a long night, we're both tired and saying things we don't mean. Now that Juliette is back safe, let's just go to bed. We'll feel better in the morning."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "Let's do that. Good idea."

* * *

After their disagreement about Juliette, Sean and Sarah mostly spent the next day apart. He read the paper in the bedroom and she decided to watch a movie in the living room.

She was in the middle of _Wonder Woman_ when Sean came out to see what she was up to.

"What are you watching?" He asked.

" _Wonder Woman_ ," Sarah got out and Sean turned just in time to see the title character run across the screen.

"You know," He remarked as he sat down. "She kinda looks like you."

"Yes, but I'm more powerful," Sarah said. "Than her _and_ you!"

Sean chuckled. "Oh, I don't think so," he said. "You might have to prove it to me."

Sarah grinned and pinned him to the sofa, smiling down at him. "Oh, I will! I'll make you scream for mercy!"

"I can't wait!" Junior smiled as she stared down at him. "Don't hold back!"

"I don't intend to," She cried. "I just hope you can stand it!"

It took a little maneuvering, but soon she was straddling him and riding him hard while yelling, "I win, I win!" At least until Sean abruptly changed position on her, using magic to move so fast that he was looking down at a very wide-eyed Sarah.

"I win," he smiled. Then he leaned down and kissed her soundly as she threw her arms around his neck and he ran his fingers through her hair while the movie continued to play in the background.

* * *

After overhearing how his parents reacted to Juliette's night out and encounter with the mysterious bad man, Elliot was even _more_ nervous about telling his parents (actually, his father) how he felt about men and women.

"What if I don't tell them?" Elliot asked Lucifer. "Why can't I just keep this between you and me and Ellie?"

"I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually," Lucifer told him. "And wouldn't you feel better if you didn't have to sneak around?"

"Sure that would be nice," Elliot nodded. "But Dad especially acted badly about Juliette being with a guy. Imagine how he would react to _me_ liking guys? It would be like a million times worse!"

"That might be, but you know you're not alone here," Lucifer promised. "You tell him and if there's any sort of fall out, which I know there will be, I'll talk to your father. It'll be all right, Elliot."

"I want to believe you're right," Elliot smiled weakly. "All right, I'll tell him."

"Good boy," Lucifer said. "And good luck."

* * *

So he wouldn't lose his nerve, Elliot waited for his father to come home so he could tell him the second he got home and it wouldn't be weighing on him anymore. That would be nice.

"Oh, my gosh!" Junior put a hand to his heart as he opened the door and saw Elliot staring at him. "You startled me, son!"

"Sorry," Elliot apologized. "I know you're tired, but I have something I want to talk to you about and it can't wait."

"All right," Junior nodded. "Let's talk. Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, and I hope you'll be too, after what I have to say," Elliot got out. "But you might not be, and I'm fully prepared for that."

Even though he was more than a couple inches taller than his father, he began to feel very tiny. In spite of that, he took a deep breath and blurted, "I'm bisexual. I like boys and girls. I even went on a date with a boy."

There was a silence and then Junior blinked. "You...you what? You went on date? With a boy? But why? Aren't there any nice girls around? This is just gonna be a one time thing, right? Now that you've done it, you won't need to do it again?"

Elliot shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "I'm not ruling it out."

"Oh," Junior sighed. "Okay, okay. I think...I think I need a drink."

Elliot's face fell as he followed his father into the kitchen. "It is what it is," he said. "I'm just trying to be honest. If you want me to leave now, I will. Lucifer already offered me a place in his and Ellie's house if you don't want me around anymore."

"Yeah," Junior nodded and gulped down a few drinks in the matter of seconds. "That might be best, at least for now."

"Fine," Elliot got out, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "Not like I wasn't expecting this." He then strode out and drove to Lucifer's.

* * *

His brother in law had been waited for him just as he'd waited for his own father.

"Oh, dear," Lucifer sighed and ushered him inside. "Didn't go well, I'm guessing? I can tell from the look on your face."

"Well, I can feel good about being honest," Elliot got out. "The problem isn't with me. I know that."

"No, it's not," Lucifer shook his head. "If you do all you can to be honest and open and your father still rejects you, it's his fault not yours. I'll talk to him tomorrow. You won't have to be here forever."

"Thank you," Elliot said with a smile. "Thank you. But how will you do that? He seems pretty firm."

"Well, I'll talk to him about other things," Lucifer replied. "Like...what do you want to do with your life? Not guaranteeing anything, but if he hears about your goals and ambitions that might bring his mind elsewhere."

Elliot thought a moment. "Well...maybe physical therapy," he shrugged. "Kind of like how Mom does sports medicine and works at the gym."

"That's good!" Lucifer encouraged. "Very wonderful! I'm sure your father will have no rejection to that and your mother sure won't."

"Well, even if they _do_ have a problem with it, I don't care," Elliot shrugged. "It's my choice and my life, and I'm gonna do what makes me happy."

"Good," Lucifer grinned. "That's what I like to hear."

* * *

"I don't think I need to ask why you called me here before working hours," Junior told Lucifer as he strode into the Underground, sat down at the bar, and Lucifer poured him a glass of straight tequila. "Elliot tells me what he tells me, goes to live with you, and now you want to talk."

"That shouldn't surprise you," Lucifer said firmly. "You know how I feel about fathers rejecting their sons and that's essentially what you're doing, even though it took a lot of courage for Elliot to be open with you, even though what he wanted more was to keep it to himself because he was nervous about what you would say."

"In my defense, I didn't kick him out permanently!" Junior cried.

"Yes, I bet you want him gone until he says he doesn't like men anymore," Lucifer replied dryly as Junior gulped down his drink and shoved the glass toward Lucifer for another.

"Well, can you blame me for being uncomfortable?" Junior asked. "I don't...I don't even know anything about...I don't condone..."

"It doesn't matter!" Lucifer cried. "You don't have to agree! You just have to let your son know that you love him and you care even though he isn't everything you thought he would be! Why is that so damn difficult for you? Why can't you accept your children the way they are? First you make Eleanor's life a hell and now you're doing the same for her brother! But at least with Eleanor, you had the courtesy to do it from afar! Maybe Elliot would be better off without you since he at least has Eleanor and me to accept him for the wonderful young man he is! Did you know that he wants to pursue a career in physical therapy? Did you let him tell you that? Did you even ask?"

"No," Junior shook his head. "He does?"

"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "And since he's smart like Sarah, I think he'll be damn good at it, too." He paused. "You should talk to him about this. After you apologize for the appalling way you spoke to a young man who wants nothing but his father's positive regard, that is."

"I will," Junior sighed. "But I...I need time. It's a lot to get my head wrapped around."

"You're a fool," Lucifer snapped and then strode away. "I hope you know that."


	71. Lying A Little Low

Selina was picking up the last thing she needed for her new lemon meringue tarts when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and heard a voice. "Excuse me, would you help me..."

She turned around and when she saw the person tapping her, they both instinctively let out a cry and stepped back, clearing their throats. "Elijah," she said, trying not to stare at the fact that he was wearing jeans with holes. "How...how are you?"

"Fine, Selina, my dear," Elijah told her politely. "And yourself? Things going well with Dorian?"

"Good, yeah," Selina nodded, casting her blue eyes down to the floor. "How's your family? I heard your daughter Lisa had some good news..."

"Yes," Elijah muttered, still not happy about it. "She's married now."

"Why do you say it like that?" Selina asked, prickling. "Do you not like who she married? Do you think she needs your permission or something? What is your _problem_? I thought those ugly flip flops you're wearing meant you lightened up, but apparently not!"

Elijah looked down at his feet. "Don't be fooled," he said. "I'm the same man I always was.

"Oh, you mean a giant ass?" Selina questioned. "You don't have to tell me. I knew that." She turned her back to him. "If you don't have anything nice to say, just don't talk to me anymore, all right? I came here to grocery shop, not to chat. Especially not with my ex. I just want to get in and get out and see my husband who's better than you!"

Elijah came up behind her, standing close enough that she could smell his cologne. "I bet he's not better in bed than me," he replied. "You only had, what? One child with him? And how many did we have?"

Selina growled, turned around, and tossed a good sized orange at him, and when that missed, grabbed grapes and strawberries. "Take that!" She cried. "And that!"

"The lady doth protest to much, I think," Elijah grinned as he narrowly avoided another strawberry to the face. He then took off running and after Selina grabbed her lemons, she gripped her grocery basket tightly and ran after him.

They finally stopped to catch their breath in the dairy aisle. There was a few seconds of silence and then they continued to bicker.

"I bet you're still a snob," she said. "Suits every day and stuff. I'm glad I left that. Nothing I ever did was good enough for you!"

"Well, while we're talking about that," Elijah shot back, "Let's talk about how many of our children's events you've missed. Do you care about them at all? I noticed that you didn't even RSVP for Gregory's birthday party!"

"Well, I thought about going, but then I knew you would just start a fight with me and I didn't want to spoil Gregory's day and mine by seeing your stupid face!" Selina replied. "So that's why I stayed away. I wanted Gregory's birthday to be about him." She paused. "Besides, that particular shaming is not going to work! Our kids are adults now and they don't need me snooping around like some helicopter parent! Do _you_ stick around every minute, Elijah? I bet you don't and our kids are fine with that cause they can finally have their own lives and happiness without you breathing down their necks because you have Lisa to cause trouble for now."

"Are you sure courtesy for our children is the only reason why you avoided Gregory's party?" Elijah asked her, keeping his eyes on her face as he took her hand and massaged the palm with his thumb. "Could there be other reasons? It wouldn't surprise me if I still had an effect on you."

"Oh, don't you do that!" Selina's drawl was beginning to return full force like it did when she was really angry. She waved her finger in his face. "You don't have any effect on me!"

Elijah grabbed her hand and kissed the palm. "Oh, really?" He asked, his voice smooth like velvet. "Then why would you worry if I was there or not unless you were worried about old feelings coming back? Could it be that life with Dorian is getting a bit boring for you?"

This made Selina burst out laughing. "Dorian is hot and a demon and very open to new things, unlike you! So how could that be boring?"

"You're lying," Elijah told her with a shake of his head as he got right up close to her body. "I would bet my most expensive tie that he doesn't make you hot like I do. So hot that you would tear his clothes off to have your way with him."

"I would not do any such thing with yours!" Selina scoffed. "I wouldn't tear your fancy clothes because then I'd have to hear about it and that's not anything I want to deal with." She turned and took a step, but then Elijah grabbed her arm so she was staring at him.

"I'm not wearing my fancy clothes now, so how about it?" He questioned with a smirk. "It won't change anything."

"I'm not going to!" Selina stepped back. "It's what you want! It's playing into your hands!"

Elijah's gaze strayed down to her blouse. Its first few buttons were undone, just exposing her black lace bra. "Your shirt is open and I can see your bra," he told her. "Black. Very interesting. You always wore colorful underwear with me. Are you in mourning for a lousy relationship?"

Blushing furiously, Selina buttoned up her shirt and gave Elijah a slap. "Stop looking at my underwear!" She scolded him. "You're not allowed! And what I do or do not do with Dorian is none of your damn business!"

"So you _are_ bored then!" Elijah grinned and grabbed cartons of ice cream out of the nearby freezer. "It figures! Dorian doesn't seem like the sort of guy who would appreciate your favorite polka dot panties!" He grinned. "Remember when I had to take your bra off by the strap with my teeth because it was stuck in the lace?"

Selina remembered and pulled at her clothes as her body started to get warm, and then busied herself grabbing yogurt and hurling the cartons at him.

Elijah grabbed her and pushed her against the wall with a hand over her head. "It's so interesting how your memory is lacking when that hot body of yours still seems to remember!" He put his hands on her hips and nibbled on her neck, and then his eyes moved up to her lips before he kissed her lightly.

Then her eyes slid down to his crotch and she reached out. "I like your...pants," she breathed.

Elijah put a hand under her chin and brought her eyes up to his. "I assure you that my underwear doesn't have yellow polka dots," he said. Then he pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "I wonder what color your panties are? Your bra may be boring but you used to mix and match so much, I remember. I hope you still do."

His voice sang to her, making her tingle. She tried to pull away, muttering something about having to leave, but slipped in a puddle of milk that someone had spilled.

Elijah quickly grabbed her before she hit the floor. "I've got you," he said, his voice and face full of concern as he gripped her tight. "You know I've always got you."

Selina resisted for a little longer then relaxed in his embrace. "What happened to you?" She asked, resting her head on his shoulder. "You're so different now."

"What do you mean?" He asked, slowly pulling her long dark hair out of its bun and playing with it.

"How could you not know?" Selina asked, busying herself with unbuttoning his plaid shirt right there in the middle of the dairy aisle.

"What are you doing?" Elijah asked, sweat beginning to bead his forehead as she ran her hand down his chest.

"This is what you want, isn't it?" She asked in a breathy voice that aroused him. He growled, grabbed her by the hand and pulled her through a nearby automatic door that led to the beer and alcohol section. Once the door had closed behind them, he pulled her close against him, rubbing gently, and kissing her soundly, breaking the kiss for a moment as a moan escaped her lips, and then kissing her again and again, anywhere and everywhere. Her lips, her ears, her neck, her collarbone.

She responded by running her hands all over his body, undoing his pants button and pulling at the waistband. "Pants off now," she begged. "Please!"

"Selina...darling," Elijah whispered between nibbles, kisses, bites, and licks. He lifted up her skirt to see her red and black striped panties and give her a brief and gentle rub. "I knew it, baby! I bet your demon man doesn't know you like I do!" He kissed her one last time and pushed her at arms' length. She was flushed, panting, and sweating, and bunching up her skirt in her fists.

"What happened?" She asked. "Where are you going?"

"Shame on you, darling," he said and buttoned up and zipped everything. "You're married! Have a good day and give my regards to Dorian!" He filled his basket and strode off, then Selina left and filled her basket with so much ice cream and yogurt along with everything else that the lady checking her out gave her a look. "Is all this because of a man?" She asked.

"Yeah," Selina breathed. "Yeah."

* * *

"How are you doing?" Valerie asked as she brought Nyx in to cheer up Lisa who was still sick in bed. "Any better?"

"No," Lisa shook her head, gathered her strength, and sat up to scratch the puppy behind the ears. "I don't know how much longer I can do this. I want it to stop!"

"You mean...you don't mean _permanently?"_ Valerie asked.

"Oh, look," Lisa changed the subject. "Nixie is wearing a cute little tutu and ribbons around her ears! Where did you find them?"

"Don't try to distract me," Valerie said. "Are you...are you saying you want to abort your baby?"

"I know you're gonna hate it, but yeah..." Lisa sighed. "I promised Lee we'd have a kid when I was ready and I'm not. And a child deserves better than that, don't you think?"

Valerie sighed. "I guess. I suppose it's better you figure that out now than when the baby is born and will have no one to take care of it."

"That's what I was thinking," Lisa agreed. "So you'll...you'll support me?"

"Yeah," Valerie assured her at last, taking her hand. "I will. Cause...Cause I know you'll be a great mother when you're ready."

"You think?" Lisa asked. "I don't know." She paused. "Will you be with me when I tell Lee? Cause I just know he won't be happy. He might even break up with me!"

"Well, I know you like him, but that could be good," Valerie shrugged. "It would take away the temptation to have sex until you're ready."

"Yeah," Lisa sighed deeply. "I guess."

"And of course I'll be there when you tell him," Valerie said and gave her a hug. "When you...when you go and get the abortion done, do you want to go alone?"

"No," Lisa shook her head. "Would it be too much to ask for you to come with me too? If I go alone, I might lose my nerve!"

"Of course," Valerie nodded and gripped her hand tight. "Do you need some time, or do you just wanna go now and get it over with?"

"Could we do that?" Lisa asked. "Please?"

"All right," Valerie nodded. "Let's go!"

* * *

They managed to get to the hospital, but it took longer than expected because Lisa needed to stop a few times to throw up, probably because of nervousness.

When they reached the hospital, Lisa muttered prayers as Valerie dragged her to the receptionist to explain what needed to be done and get it set up, even going so far as to use her powers of persuasion to make sure it could be done immediately and not have a wait of a few days.

Then Lisa took a deep breath and let Valerie go as the doctor came to lead her away.

"I'll be here," Valerie called to a sniffling Lisa. "Don't worry!"

* * *

When she next saw her, Lisa was lying in recovery, looking exhausted relieved. "It's done," she said. "I'm...I'm not pregnant anymore. I'm so...I'm so relieved."

"I bet you are," Valerie told her friend. "This was very brave of you. I'm so...so proud."

"It's gonna be harder to explain to Lee," Lisa sighed. "What if...what if he's mad about what I did? It wasn't like I was open with him about it."

"If you're doing something that makes you uncomfortable just to stop him from being mad, is it really worth doing?" Valerie questioned. "Especially if you know those negative feelings you have will just stew inside of you? I think you made the right choice for you and sure he might be pissed but you get it all out now and try again at a more convenient time for both of you, and in the long run, you'll be happier."

Lisa sighed. "I hope you're right."

"I know I am," Valerie replied and then surprised her friend by pulling Nixie out from her large tote bag. "I thought she would cheer you up," Valerie smiled. "She's not technically supposed to be in here, though."

"Thank you," Lisa smiled as the enthusiastic puppy licked her face. "I really needed this."

* * *

"You're late," Mikael remarked as Charlotte finally sauntered into the coffee house where they'd agreed to meet. "I don't like to be kept waiting and you were supposed to be here an hour ago!"

"If you're so angry, then why are you still here?" Charlotte smirked. "No one was stopping you. Did you just want to fuss at me like a child?"

"Never mind," Mikael told her. "Let's talk about my plan and I'll tell you what you have to do. You will do exactly as I say and don't screw it up!"

"Excuse me?" Charlotte rose. "I'll do what _you_ say? This is _your_ plan? We're both wronged here." She threw what was left of his coffee (now cold) in his face. "If I don't get anything out of this, I won't do it at all, do you hear me?"

"You're so shrill, how could I not?" Mikael questioned.

"Shut up!" Charlotte replied. "I don't have to listen to this. I'm getting a coffee!"

She got up to get it, and Mikael watched her behind as she headed to the counter and ordered.

"You know," he told her when she returned, "I was just going to take over all this and send you away so you wouldn't mess things up but since you're reasonably attractive and have a nice ass, I think I'll let you stay around for a while."

"How kind of you," Charlotte replied dryly. "Do you actually have a plan, or were you too busy thinking with your penis to do anything constructive while I was gone?"

"I do have an idea," Mikael told her. "I would say that it would be a shame not to tell our spouses of our association. For the look alone, I'll be willing to pretend I like you."

"I hate to admit it," Charlotte told him. "But that's a good idea."

"All right, that's settled then," Mikael grinned and stood up. "Why don't we go kiss in my car?"

"Are you serious?" Charlotte spit her coffee out. "What are we, children?"

"No, but I don't see why two attractive people such as ourselves should hold back," Mikael proposed. "Let's go. Hurry up!"

Charlotte made him wait again, but once her cup was empty, she deigned to take his hand and pull him out to his car. They made out for a while, but when she felt him trying to sneak his hand under her skirt, she slapped him and then got out.

"I don't think I want to go further," she told him and reached for the door handle. "You're not good enough for that."

"Oh, I'm sure you don't want to leave before you miss out on this," Mikael said.

Against her will, Charlotte let the door handle go and looked, her eyes widening when she saw he wasn't wearing a shirt and was really... _really_ attractive. "You...I hate...Damn you!" She cried as he grinned and pulled her to him, kissing her soundly as she ran her hands over the taut muscles of his chest. "Why do you have to be so damn attractive?"


	72. Feelings That Can't Be Fought

"Are you okay?" Amy asked Elijah. He'd gone on a trip to the grocery store and even a few days later, he still wasn't the same. "You know if something's wrong, you can talk to me."

"All right, but I hope you don't take any offense," Elijah said. "Because it's not my intention to hurt you, but...do you think our relationship is working? Are you getting out of it what you want? I know we get along and talk and things, but...do you think we have passion?"

"Well, passion isn't everything," Amy said. "If that's what...if that's what I wanted, I would have said something. "Do you think we have it? Doesn't sound like you do...and that you want it now."

"Yes, I...I saw Selina at the grocery store the other day," Elijah admitted. "And just...just looking at her brought up feelings, you know? I'm...very sorry."

"Oh, it's okay," Amy nodded. "You kind of have a point. We're both so practical, you know? And while it might feel like it's easier to be with someone who's just like us, when we are, we miss out on a lot: like the passion and the insanity and the things that make life worth living."

"It wasn't all bad though," Elijah smiled at her. "We _do_ have Lisa and Lily. And I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

"No," Amy smiled. "Neither would I." Then she chuckled. "You know, it's lucky that the only thing we ever had in terms of a wedding was that pretend one so that Lily could be a flower girl and wear a pretty dress. Makes things a lot less complicated, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Elijah hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Sometimes I forget that was just pretend, you know. It felt real. The feelings and everything."

"I think our feelings were always real," Amy assured him. "It's just that for you they've changed now. That's...that's okay. I'll go pack my things if you want."

"Oh, you don't have to do that now!" Elijah called after her. "Where will you go?"

"Don't worry about me," Amy assured him. "I'll find a place."

"But you don't have to rush it!" Elijah called after her. "I swear!"

She knew he was serious but she didn't want to inconvenience him, because it was more than likely that his offer to let her stay was only because of guilt and not actual feeling, so it would be kinder if she just got out from under his roof as soon as possible. She took a deep breath and called Lucifer, who seemed surprised when he answered.

"Did I miss an appointment today?" He questioned. "Or did Angelica miss one? I'll let her know if she did."

"Oh, it's not about that," Amy got out. "It's about something else. Something that makes me glad I'm not an actual therapist because the favor I'm about to ask would definitely break some rules if I was."

"Oh?" Lucifer asked. "What is it? Do you need a favor?"

"Not necessarily in the way you mean," Amy quickly assured him. "It's just that...Elijah and I have decided to part ways and I would just feel kind of awkward staying with him even though he offered and you have so many rooms, so..."

"Of course," Lucifer nodded. "You can stay with us as long as you like. I'll have someone make up a room for you so you can get settled right away."

"Thank you," Amy told him, her voice full of relief. "Thank you very much."

"It's no trouble," Lucifer assured her. "I was wondering if you'd ever ask me for anything. I hoped you would someday. And I'm glad you did. Now...the break up with Elijah was mutual, right? He didn't hurt you or anything? Cause I can always..."

"No, no, you don't need to do that,"

* * *

Still peeved at Elijah for how he'd left her at the supermarket, Selina decided to calm down by going to the gym and taking yoga classes with her sister, Sarah.

"I would ask if you knew any hints to stop one from falling in love with someone they already ended a relationship with," she said as she and Sarah warmed up by trying to touch their toes, with Sarah, of course, being much more successful cause she was more flexible, especially when sitting. "But seeing as how you're with Junior again, I don't think you can help me."

"Who are you in love with?" Sarah asked. "It's not Klaus; Junior or Liam would have told me."

"No, I just...and I'm not in love with him!" Selina cried, feeling offended. "Making me feel tingly in certain places is not the same as being in love! I don't like him." She then turned away from a smirking Sarah to give herself something new to look at: the hot guys lifting weights nearby.

But then, much to her dismay, she noticed a vey muscular and familiar someone sitting down on a weight bench and removing his shirt.

"Isn't that Elijah?" Sarah grinned, surmising he was Selina's mystery crush. "I don't blame you for thinking he's hot!"

"I don't!" Selina snapped, although her face was soon pressed against the glass. "Are there blinds we can put over this window?!"

"Well, there are, but I don't think you really want me to from all those marks you're making all over the glass," Sarah smirked and pulled her away as more people began to arrive. "Lucky for you though, it's almost time for class to start, so there's something that will divert your attention."

"I hope so," Selina sighed and cast one more long look at Elijah lifting weights. "I think that I'm in trouble otherwise."

"Hey," The man on the weight-lifting bench next to Elijah told him with a snicker. "Did you know there's a yoga class in that room just across the way there?" He pointed at a glass wall that gave a good view of a bunch of women in tight spandex doing downward facing dog. "Aren't they hot? You want to come with me to get a closer look? I especially like the one in the leopard print pants. She's got a nice ass! Perfectly round and..."

Elijah then grabbed him by the collar, knowing perfectly well who those leopard print exercise pants belonged to. He'd seen Selina wear them often enough. "You say one more word about that woman, and I will kill you," he said through his teeth, then threw the man on the floor, got off the bench, and gaped openly until Selina got out of the pose, stood up, and turned around, looking at him wide-eyed.

He thought about preserving her dignity and stepping away, but instead, he just gave her a smirk and a wink and then turned to walk back to his bench.

But Selina wouldn't stand for that. Excusing herself, she left the class, grabbed Elijah's arm, and pulled him out of the room. "I think you and I need to have a talk," she said through her teeth. "Let's find someplace private."

"Oh, you and me in a private place?" Elijah grinned. "How scandalous of you! I mean, Amy and I agreed to part ways so I'm free, but..."

"Shut up!" Selina snapped, blushing deeply and trying to avoid his gaze. "Don't talk until I tell you to!"

"You're cute when you're flustered," Elijah told her and moved a strand of hair out of her face as they began roaming the halls to find empty, private space to talk in.

* * *

"I can't believe you just...you came to this gym and thought you could start doing things here!" Selina continued to rage as she and Elijah headed into an empty sauna for a private chat, keeping the door open a crack so they could get out. "I just...it's unspeakable!"

"Why?" Elijah replied. "Cause it reminds you that you have the hots for me?"

"The only thing comforting about all this was that I know you were staring at me in my yoga clothes. I saw you between my legs while I was doing downward facing dog!"

"Oh, you know how much I love to be between your legs," he said, pulling her to him and kissing her. But they broke apart when they heard the door click.

"What was that?" Selina asked. "Did the door close?" She began pulling at her top. "And is it just me, or is it getting very hot in here?"

"What's making you nervous, my dear?" Elijah asked. "Is it really about how hot the sauna is, or is it how hot you think _I_ am?" He gave her a wink.

"Of course I meant the sauna!" Selina snapped peevishly. "Not you! I wouldn't mean you! Only _you_ would think that!"

Elijah chuckled and got close enough to her body that they were touching she was pushed up against the wall of the sauna. Her whole body was tense as his bare arm brushed against hers. "You know me," he whispered. "I am more than happy to take pity on you when you get needy." He checked the door. "It's still locked, it seems," he said. He made a show of trying to get it open. "It seems like we'll be in here for a while."

"I can't believe you!" Selina scoffed and jiggled it again. "You probably paid someone to do this, didn't you? It's just the sort of thing you would do to feel more powerful than me!"

Elijah laughed out loud again and pulled her to him. "Oh, my dear Selina," he said, his face showing pity. "Do you really think I need to play these games to have you? How gullible you've become!"

She gasped as he nibbled on her earlobe and then whispered in her ear. "If I wanted you right this minute, I would know exactly what to do or say to get you. To part your legs and get inside of you. You know I'm right, even if you won't admit it."

Selina shut her eyes tight, trying get the good smell of his cologne away from her and focus on keeping her legs together, otherwise, what he said would happen would happen, and she was better than that! "It won't happen," she assured him. "Cause as you've been so fond of reminding me, I'm still married so the only person my legs open for is my husband!"

She opened her eyes and was dismayed to see that Elijah's dark ones were still sparkling with humor.

"Well, how honorable of you," he got out before smirking and peeling his sweaty t-shirt off, giving Selina a good glimpse of his muscular back and shoulders and even just a hint of his abs. This made panic rise up in her and she ran for the sauna door again, jiggling the handle and yelling.

"Help!" She cried. "Let us out, please!"

Elijah smirked and undressed the rest of the way, then, fully naked, sat down on one of the sauna benches. "I would save my breath if I were you, darling," he told her. "No one is coming." he patted the empty space beside him. "Come and sit with me."

"Why should I do that?" Selina asked, her grip still firm on the sauna door.

He produced a water bottle, seemingly out of nowhere. "It's a bit warm in here," he said. "I thought you'd want some water." He held the bottle out. "Come on and have some. You know I won't bite unless you want me to."

Selina realized to her dismay that she was indeed thirsty and made her way to him. "Fine, I'll have some of your water," she said, taking a drink from the bottle he was firmly gripping. "But that...that's all I want from you," she finished as Elijah grabbed her wrist firmly. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I don't think it's fair that I'm sharing my water and getting nothing in return," Elijah told her. "I mean you no real harm of course, but don't you think I have a point?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "If I show you my boobs, is that good enough?" She flashed him briefly and pulled her shirt back down. "There. Happy?"

He pulled her to him and whispered against her ear in a way that made her shiver. "You're trying to tempt me, you little minx," he got out. "You want me to cross the line, pass the point of no return for both of us because you're too afraid. I saw how you looked at me while I was training. How could I miss it? You want me bad and you know that the second you give in to me, you won't be able to stop. You won't want to. It's how you are."

She growled and moved so that she was looking him square in the eye and her top lip was touching his bottom one. "I can stop any time I want. What do you know?"

"I'm sure you could," Elijah replied, then lifted her up and dropped her and the water bottle onto the sauna floor. "Have some water," he told her. "I insist. And I would take off those pants if I were you."

Selina made a noise as the water bottle hit her belly. The pain made her regain her composure and her good sense. "If you want my pants off," she said, remembering their first bath together and how uncomfortable he'd been undressing her. "Then you'll have to do them yourself."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Are you propositioning another man who isn't your demon husband, Selina?" He asked. "Why would you do that, I wonder? Could it be that the passion between the two of you has died?"

Selina wiggled her body and shook her head. "No, it's purely a practical matter," she said. "The only way I'll get out of here is if I have sex with you, so let's get it over with now."

"And why would I do want you want?" Elijah asked. It was then that Selina noticed him taking a paper out of his sports bag and reading it. He'd sneaked it into the sauna. That's probably where the water bottle had come from too.

"Hey!" Selina cried. "If I do that to you and you do that to me, nothing will happen between us!" She paused and realized what she said before backpedaling. "And that's fine with me!"

"Fine with me too," Elijah shrugged and changed the subject. "This paper says a lot of good things about the new sushi restaurant that just opened up. What do you think of it?"

"I don't like sushi," Selina crinkled her nose. "But you would. It's such a pretentious food!"

Elijah gave her a pitying look. "Even after all these years with Dorian, even after he's had you every night, you've stayed with me. You stil consider yourself mine, don't you? You know and I know that he never knew you the way I do." He raised his hand and slid his thumb over her bottom lip. "If you think we can just fuck over and over on this wall and you'll be over me, you're sorely mistaken, my darling."

"It's not that I don't want to admit my feelings," Selina said. "But I know that if I do, you'll just act like a jerk, so I'm not having sex with you and that's that!"

Elijah then let out a growl, grabbed her, and braced her against the wall of the sauna, then pulled her hair back to expose her neck, then slipped his hands down the front of her yoga pants and began rubbing her. "There are so many ways I can make you long for me," he said. "You know how well I know your body." She moaned as he slipped a finger inside her and ran his teeth over the skin of her neck before moving his hand and rubbing her again.

"Okay," Selina gasped. "If I take my pants off, will you stop this? It's making me crazy!"

"No," Elijah shook his head. "I want you to say that you want me, always and forever. I want you to beg me to take you. To bury myself inside you over and over again."

"I only will if you say you want me too," Selina countered."It seems like you only want my body now and that makes me feel cheap!"

Elijah then looked her in the eye and put her hands over her head, putting his forehead against hers so they were looking one another in the eye. "I don't only want your body," he promised. "I want your soul and your heart as well, you know that, don't you?" He brushed her hair out of her eyes and let his lips lightly touch hers. "I like your hair like this," he told her. "You've let it get longer. And it's silkier and softer too. And I like the new look in your eyes. It's nice." He paused. When I'm inside you, it's not just about sex. It always has been about more than that. You're not cheap, you're mine."

Selina chuckled and blushed again. "Well, I suppose that's a compliment," she said. "I know what sort of tastes you have." Then she gave him a look and spoke seriously. "So you really care, but...what does that mean? Do you see me as someone who has dreams and goals I can achieve? Or are you only telling me this to lure me to your house so I can cook for you and have ten more babies?"

Elijah laughed out loud. "Look at you making life plans with me," he said. "What power I must have over you to make you forget you're married."

Selina punched him in the arm. "Stop doing that!" She yelled and snapped her teeth at him. "You're making me so confused!"

Elijah put his hands on either side of his face. "There's no confusion, Selina." He leaned forward so their lips were touching. "Who do you want?" He asked against her lips. "Me or Dorian?"

"No!" She cried and pulled away. "I won't say it! I won't say it!"

"You want me, don't you?" Elijah asked, a hand under her chin so she had to look him in the eye. "You want all of me!" He let go of her and ran his hands over her arms, creating goosebumps all over her body before he cupped her breasts. "You can have me," he told her gently. "You can have all of me. I want nothing more than to come to you willingly. You just have to tell me that I'm the one you want."

Selina shut her eyes. "I want you!" She cried. "I want you, damn it! Not Dorian, you!"

"I want you too, baby," Elijah said as he grabbed her, kissed her soundly and then snatched up two fistfuls of her hair as his tongue entwined with hers. He then pulled at her yoga pants and tried to get them down, but they stuck to her like glue.

"Why do you have to wear such tight clothes?" He cried out in frustration. "It makes it very hard for me to undress you! They're like two sizes two small!"

"I'm sorry," Selina snapped. "I thought that they would be a turn on since they show off my ass so well!"

"They certainly were a turn on when I was staring at you in the training room, but now they're hell to get off," Elijah grunted impatiently.

"Oh, get out of the way," Selina cried impatiently. They were both sweating buckets now. "I'll rip them off!"

"I got them!" Elijah cried triumphantly and pushed them down her legs before parting her legs to taste her and inhale her scent, after moving her thin panties out of the way.

"I missed this," he told her. "My god, I really missed this! The smell of you, the taste of you...it's...how much I miss it and need it has come flooding back!"

"Good," Selina cried and pulled his hair. "Tell me this isn't gonna stop. Please!"

"It won't, baby, it won't," Elijah assured her. "Do I have to ask you to get out of everything that you're wearing below the waist?"

"Not twice," Selina replied and quickly shed her pants and panties.

He then picked her up and braced her against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist and his hardness rubbed against her core. He lowered her yoga top with his teeth and gently bit her erect nipple.

Meanwhile she was torn between wanting to close her eyes and enjoy every bit of pain and pleasure he was bringing her aching, needy body and wanting to watch his wicked gaze while he made her want him so badly. She hadn't realized it had been so long since it had been this good.

Just when she thought he was gonna bury himself inside her, there was a knock on the sauna door. "Everything okay in there?" Called a voice. "We know you've been locked in there for a while cause the lock is stuck, but someone is coming to get you out in a matter of seconds!"

"We're fine," Selina called dejectedly as the mood was broken, Elijah let her down, and they scrambled to get in her clothes. But under her breath, she was muttering, "No, no, no..."

* * *

"Now, are you absolutely sure you're ready for this?" Cassidy asked Noah as they drove to the mansion from the club one morning to announce that they were a family. "Cause we can wait!"

"Do you want him to do it or not?" Willie asked him impatiently. "You always say you want to and then when we go, you're always like, "Don't, we don't _have_ to! But I want to go and see his sister's doggie! I wanted one, but Mommy and Daddy wouldn't let me, remember?"

"Well, it's because hell hounds need a lot of looking after and we only had a tiny apartment, remember?" Cassidy reminded him. "I don't blame them."

"I'm sure Valerie will be more than happy to show you Nixie. She likes to show her to everybody," Noah said. "And she's a very nice dog. She doesn't bite or anything. But just to warn you, my sister likes dressing the poor dog up in tutus and things. She says she likes it, but I don't know."

They reached the house and were met by Valerie, who took Willie to meet Nyx while Cassidy and Noah stared off to the dining room, but when they got inside, Cassidy was overcome by nervousness.

"Hello, Cassidy," Lucifer greeted her. "So lovely you could make it. Why don't you come sit by me?"

"I...I would love to," Cassidy got out. "But...I don't know if this is a good idea..." She stumbled away, and Noah, knowing exactly what was wrong, pulled her to him in front of everyone and held her close. "It's gonna be okay," he said and kissed her. "I promise. You're more than welcome here. Everyone here loves you and so do I. More than you know."

"Oh, my gosh!" Ellie sobbed and zapped up a box of tissues. "That is so sweet!" She then began to cry harder and took some time to catch her breath as Lucifer and Vincent asked if she was okay.

"No, not now," Ellie said with fire in her eyes as she grabbed her hand bag. "But I know how to fix it. Excuse me. Lovely to see you, Cassidy!"

"What's wrong with her?" Noah asked.

"I have no idea," Lucifer shrugged. "Hormones, I guess." He paused. "Where's Willie? I like that boy."

"He's with Valerie," Noah replied. "And for good reason. I didn't want to talk about my search for his parents' killer in front of him."

"Oh..." Lucifer nodded. "How's that going? Have you had any luck?"

"No," Noah shook his head, feeling irritated. "Nothing, nothing at all! It's like...like they never existed! I don't understand at all!"

"We'll get it figured out," Lucifer promised, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry."

* * *

Ellie was in no mood to be polite so that when she arrived at Steve and Gwen's, she used her magic to open the door and barge in, but, with the twins inside her, she ended up blasting the door off its hinges and sending it flying across the living room.

"I'm not gonna apologize," she said and stormed in. "I hope something valuable got broken. In fact, it's a shame it didn't hit you!" She told Steve. "How could you do this to me? I don't want to be pregnant anymore and you better fix this."

"Oh, no, I think..." He began and then gasped as Ellie used her magic to raise him up in the hair and he could feel himself beginning to choke.

"You were saying?" Ellie asked. "If it's anything other then, 'Sure, Eleanor, I'll fix this,' you're not going anywhere."

Then something fell to the floor and Ellie took it as Steve planted his feet on the ground and got his breath back.

"I was going to give it to you," he told her as she looked at the potion. "You lasted a lot longer than I thought you would. I'm impressed."

"You should be," Ellie replied with a nod. Then, without another word, she strode from the house and headed back home.


	73. A Rose By Any Other Name

"It's so sweet that you're helping Noah find the vile fiend who killed poor Willie's parents," Ellie told Lucifer as he and Noah prepared to set off. "I'm proud of both of you for doing that!"

"I can go by myself, though," Noah told his father. "I know Mom took that potion to make her labor come soon. If you want to stay here in case she has the babies, you can."

"Would you like that, Eleanor?" Lucifer asked.

"Oh, please go," Ellie smiled and waved their fears away. "I have Amy and Dexter and all sorts of people here to help me. Getting vengeance for Willie is much more important."

"All right," Lucifer replied, pulling her as close to him as he could. "Take care of yourself." He then felt two definite kicks.

"The babies are saying 'Goodbye' too," Ellie told him.

Lucifer chuckled. "I would think you'd want them to say 'We're ready to come out'."

And as soon as Lucifer and Noah had closed the door behind them and pulled out of the driveway, that's exactly what the babies did.

"Thank you, Steve!" She called. "Could have timed it a little better, but thank you!" She then began running through the house and, as was the practice, yelling for Dexter.

But it was Amy who appeared. "What's going on?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm in labor!" Ellie cried jovially. "Have you seen Dexter? He usually helps with it all."

Amy then watched her wince and helped her to her bedroom and get undressed so she could have the twins. "It'll be all right," she said. "I'll go find Lucifer."

"He's gone," Ellie replied. "Left on a journey with Noah."

"Well, do you want me to call him to tell him to come home?" Amy wanted to know.

"Oh, no, no!" Ellie shook her head. "He's doing a good thing and it's too important to interrupt now."

"Okay," Amy nodded. "If that's what you want. Are you gonna be okay for a few seconds while I go and find someone else to help me deliver your babies?"

"I would not have guessed you knew how to deliver babies," Ellie said and then let out a howl of pain. "Go ahead and go. I'll be okay."

Amy nodded and then went out looking for some help. Any help. Dexter, as Ellie had suggested. But when she couldn't find him in a timely manner, she grabbed Jeff, who was coming out of the bathroom.

"I need help delivering some babies," she said. "Would you do it, please? It's not hard. I can tell you what to do."

"Sure," Jeff nodded. "Not a problem." He was there to visit Lee and Lisa, but things were a bit awkward and even uncomfortable because Lisa wasn't talking much and avoiding Lee at every opportunity so having time away from what would be nice.

They made their way back to Ellie's room where she was panting and crying and yelling.

"Okay," Amy told her. "Jeff is here to help us. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes," Ellie nodded. "Just...I want the babies out of me!"

"Okay," Amy nodded and looked under the blanket. "You're coming along surprisingly well. You've been in labor longer then just a few minutes ago, right?"

"My pains started this morning," Ellie nodded. "It was my water that broke a little while ago. And speaking of, we should probably mop up the floor or something."

"I'll go do that," Jeff told her and made a run for it, did that, and returned with hot water and towels that Amy had hollered after him to get. "Okay, it's done."

"Thank you," Ellie shut her eyes. "Thank you."

Amy zapped up some ice too, and then the waiting began. They did things to try and distract Ellie, including sing a longs and games of twenty questions, and then, at last, Jeff caught the first baby, the little girl.

"She looks so sweet," Jeff said. "Covered in gunk, but sweet."

Amy caught her brother a couple of minutes later, the umbilical cords were cut, and soon after, Ellie was face to face with her babies.

"Oh, it's...I'm so happy!" Ellie exclaimed and began sniffling. "It's finally over!"

"I think we should get you to a hospital," Amy told her. Jeff made up a note and then the three of them headed to the hospital and, given the circumstances, Ellie was given a room rather quickly.

Once she was settled, Amy finally called Lucifer.

"What?" He cried. "She had the babies? Is she okay? Are they okay?"

"Yes, they're fine," Amy assured him. "You have a healthy wife and a healthy son and daughter. Should we expect you to come and see them soon? She says she doesn't want to name them until you get here."

"Of course!" Lucifer told her. "I'll be there soon."

* * *

After Lucifer arrived at the hospital, he found that his children had been washed and wrapped in blankets and he and Ellie cuddled them until the nurse came to do the birth certificates. Then, a misunderstanding led to the twins being named Steve and Charlotte.

"We should protest this!" Lucifer cried. "We had many other good names to choose from!"

"Oh, those names are just fine!" Ellie told him, wanting to call Amy from the cafeteria where she and Jeff had gone. "Please don't start a fuss because our children are named after your parents in a way. Just let it go. For me, please?"

"Well, all right," Lucifer sighed and clutched his dark haired daughter. "It could be worse."

"Exactly," Ellie nodded. "If you can handle Angelica Eve, you can handle Steve and Charlotte. Where's Noah, by the way?"

"He's still doing what we were doing," Lucifer told her. "But he sends his good wishes and promises to come visit when he reaches a stopping point."

"That's good," Ellie smiled and cuddled her son. "I can't wait to have all six of my kids together here."

* * *

"Now your father and I are trusting you to be here alone while we go to this conference," Sarah told Juliette. "That means you have to be responsible, and no throwing wild parties. In fact, why don't you go stay with your brother at Lucifer's?" She leaned forward. "Or sneak him back over here? Wouldn't that be nice?"

"No, I am not getting involved in that," Juliette told her mother. "But I will not have a wild party here, I promise." She wasn't lying. In fact, she wouldn't even be at the house while her parents were gone. She'd be going to that forbidden place. And maybe, if she was lucky, she'd see that guy again. That guy who was a total slob, but oddly compelling just the same. She waved goodbye to her parents, watched them go, and when they were gone, zapped herself to the community, thinking of what to say to find just who she wanted.

* * *

But when she was stopped at the entrance by an imposing looking man who ordered her away, all words failed her. She let out a scream, pushed him to the ground, and fought her way inside the compound, where she was met by Pops.

"Who are you?" The older man asked. "What do you want here?"

"I'm not dangerous, I promise," she said. "My name is Juliette and I.. I just...I'm looking for a...for a friend of mine," she winced momentarily at the word, but she would call that person whatever she had to in order to see him again. "A friend of mine who lives here, I think. Kinda scruffy, dark hair, dark eyes, looks like a hobo and generally cranky? You know anyone like that? I know I'm doing a terrible job of describing him, but I can't give you much more."

"Oh, you don't have to worry," Pops told her. "Now that I look at you, you're the one that Joe says has been nosing around here. But why? Is he the one that's piquing your interest here?"

"Yes," Juliette nodded. "I don't mean anyone any harm. I just want to see...Joe, did you say his name was? He might have told me his name once but I don't remember. Yeah, I just want to see him. Is he in?"

"No, he's gone at the moment," Pops said, deciding she could be trusted to move deeper into the community. "But would you like to wait for him in his room, Juliette?"

"Yes," Juliette grinned and followed him. "Thank you, I would love that."

* * *

"Hey, I wondered when you would come back."

Joe started badly and whipped around after throwing his coat on the floor by the door of his now scantily furnished room. It had been much grander when he'd first moved in but he'd gotten rid of what he considered the frills and now just a bed with a few furs for blankets and a sink as well as a few old crates to use as chairs remained. The fireplace was forgotten and he'd even considered bricking that up too since it was now just full of trash.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" He demanded, lifting her up off the bed.

"You're so strong!" Juliette smiled. "I wonder how that can be of use while we're fucking? I thought you'd want to. Is that why you only have a bed in here?"

"Watch your language," he told her, though his eyes strayed down to her chest. "Young ladies shouldn't talk like that."

Juliette blushed. "You think I'm a lady?"

"Well, whatever you are doesn't fit in here and needs to go home," he said, putting her down and spanking her. "That's for sure."

"Fine," Juliette told him as she stomped over to the door and prepared to stride out angrily, but Joe came up behind her, reached over her head to shut the door, pinning her to the door with his chest against her back and his arms around her waist as he smelled her hair and moved his hands upward to cup her boobs. He was just now realizing that, unlike usually, he was looking forward to waking up tomorrow. This was doing it. She was doing it.

"Hey, are you done?" She asked. "Are we just gonna stand here all night?"

He grinned, took her in his arms, and began to kiss her neck, even scraping some of the skin with his teeth. "It won't be too long to wait," he said. Then he held her at arms' length and said with a grin, "Undress for me now." He wondered what she would say to that. She'd probably freak out, run away, and he'd be rid of her for good!

But no. To his surprise, she just gave him a grin and did what he asked, leaving her clothes on the floor and walking around to the bed, stretching out and watching him with a grin as he stared, more aroused than ever.

"Well?" She asked, her hands behind her head. "You just gonna stand there all night or are you gonna undress and join me?"

He didn't have to be asked twice. He threw his clothes in the pile with hers and lumbered over to the bed, climbing in beside her.

"Are you sure you want to do this with me?" He asked, his eyes jet black as they met hers. "I'm not exactly inclined to be gentle."

"Good," she smiled wickedly. "I think I like you more now. Do your worst. I can take it."

"Fine," Joe told her. "First, I think I'll spank you for coming here in the first place after I specifically told you not to. Why you can't listen is beyond me."

He ordered her onto her stomach, gagged her, tied her wrists, and then preceded to spank her several times, with each hit of his hand leading to laughter from behind the gag. She let it go on long enough without protest that it was he who finally stopped, turning her around to see if there were tears in her eyes. But to his surprise, there were none.

"Is that all?" She asked. "I thought you were gonna do your worst!"

"Oh, I am," he assured her, then turned her back over and, after excusing himself for a few seconds, went into her from behind several times. Then, awed by the twinkle in her eye as he turned her over onto her back, he began biting her: her neck, shoulders, arms, and inner and outer thighs were soon covered in red marks.

"Aren't you done?" He asked.

"No!" She chuckled madly after he pulled the gag away. "Bite my thighs again! That was hot!"

Intrigued, he did just that with the few spots that weren't red and angry, before slowly tasting her with his tongue.

"Oh," she said in a low voice that made him throb as she pulled at his hair. "Oh, that...that's so good!"

But lest she think he was going soft, he didn't warn her before entering between her legs and she let out a shriek over and over as he impaled her again and again with enough force to knock her head against the headboard while his hands roamed over her boobs and stomach and bit her nipples.

Finally, when she realized that she was woozy, Joe took pity on her and held her close. "I think I've had enough," he told her.

"Don't you do that," she told him. "I know you're just stopping it for my sake! I'm not a wimp!"

"Did I say you were?" He asked, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "I just want you to live to do this again, all right? What's your name, anyway?"

"Juliette," she got out. "My name is Juliette."

Josh chuckled. "No wonder you have such a stupid romantic name."

"It's _not_ romantic," she cried. "Juliet died!"

Josh just laughed and ruffled her hair. "You're so cute," he told her.

"Oh, stop mocking me," she said. "I deserve better than that!"

"You can take a lot more than I thought you could," he agreed. "Are you nuts or what?"

"Not as nuts as you for living in a place like this," she said. "What's it about? Why are you here, Joe? Where's your family?"

"You don't need me to tell you anything about the community when you clearly have nothing against wandering around and seeing things yourself," he pointed out and then ignored her other questions as he explained. "We're outcasts here," he said. "We don't have families so this is where we feel the most accepted." He scoffed. "I'm surprised I'm here with you now, considering how bad things went last time I was with a woman. She kind of looked like you, which makes me even more crazy."

"So you have a type," Juliette shrugged. "That's not weird at all."

He began to caress her legs and thighs while gently kissing her lips. "You're so beautiful," he told her. "You don't really need to coat your face with stuff, do you? I like that." He looked down. "And I see you're not too fussy about making sure you're smooth as a baby down there, either!"

Juliette blushed. "I...I'm usually a little better but I don't kill myself over it," She paused. "Wait, are you teasing me? Cause you really shouldn't when you obviously didn't shave either!"

"No I am totally serious!" He assured her as he cuddled her against his body. "I've never been with a woman like you before. My father always shoved perfectly manicured types at me, and even my last girlfriend...she worked at a gym, probably sweated like a pig all day, raised a kid all by herself...but you'd never have known what a mess that made her. She was perfect all the time. That's probably why I wasn't good enough for her...cause I'm...not. I am what I am, just like you."

She smiled. "Don't worry about that woman. She probably married some boring loser doctor or something who has nothing close to the personality you have. She really missed out!"

Joe sighed. "I put you through enough. You should probably go home now."

"To my mommy and daddy," Juliette sighed, her dark eyes losing their spark. "Do our meetings always have to end like this? My parents aren't even home so that's how I was able to get away. I'm not leaving! I'm staying here all night. And maybe all night tomorrow too! That's what you want and you don't need to hide it for my sake."

"How do you know what I want?" Joe asked.

"Just a lucky guess," Juliette smiled and pulled the blankets over them and kissing him again.


	74. You Can't Scare Me

"What are you so happy about?" Lisa asked Lee, who was very excited.

"I know you've been kind of bummed lately, so I have a surprise for you," Lee grinned. "Come with me. I know you'll be so happy when you see it. Shut your eyes until I tell you."

"Okay," Lisa said and let him pull her along behind him. He stopped her just inside a doorway and turned on a light.

"Open your eyes!" he proclaimed proudly.

"Oh, my god!" Lisa gasped as she opened her eyes and saw she was in a beautifully decorated nursery. Stuffed animals everywhere, little clothes, rocking chair, changing table...not a thing was missing. Except the baby.

"I thought the pregnancy was getting you down, so...this'll all be one thing off your mind. Off our minds," Lee smiled. "What do you think? Do you think it?" But his face quickly fell as Lisa burst into tears.

"What?" He cried worriedly and took her in his arms. "I thought this would be a nice surprise for you, but did you have other ideas? We can change the decoration if you want..."

"No!" Lisa shook her head. "The decoration...the decoration is beautiful, but...there's no baby. You came up with all this for nothing!"

"Oh..." Lee's face crumpled. "When did you miscarry? Yesterday? The day before that? How could I not have noticed? I'm so sorry!"

Lisa paused. She had a choice to make. She could leave him thinking she miscarried, save their relationship and completely absolve herself of any blame (not that she had anything to be blamed for in the first place), or she could be honest and risk a whole lot more.

"You...you don't have to be sorry," she told him, her eyes staying on his. "The reason you didn't notice was because I didn't miscarry. I...I got an abortion. Valerie took me while you were out, and I didn't tell you because I knew you'd guilt me into doing something I didn't want to do because you're so keen on being a parent yourself. I will not be made to feel guilty for this. I won't! I did the right thing for me! And if you don't like that then maybe, maybe we should just take a break. Cause I made it clear to you that we would have kids when I was ready and it's not my fault you got all excited prematurely!"

"You could have told me you were getting an abortion since it was both of our child!" Lee yelled. "You at least owed me that!"

"I did not!" Lisa cried. "Because what would you have said if I'd have come to you and been honest? Let me tell you what you would have said: 'Oh, no! Don't do it, Lisa! We can handle having a baby! I want one'! No consideration for what I'm going through at all!"

"Fine, if you think I'm so horrible, I'm breaking up with you!" Lee told her. "You can just take your things and to your mother's room! I'm sure she wouldn't mind making room for a cot!"

"I'm sure she wouldn't!" Lisa responded, putting a bunch of clothes in a bag. "Cause unlike you, she gives a damn about me! Goodbye!" She then slammed the door behind her and ran to Amy's rooms. Her mother looked up just as she was catching her breath.

"What's the bag for?" Amy asked. "And why are you breathing so hard? Did you run all the way down here?"

"I couldn't stand being with Lee anymore," Lisa got out, dropping the bag and giving her mother a hug. "I...I was pregnant, Mom. With Lee's baby. And I got an abortion cause I wasn't ready and he was all mad about it, and...it wasn't wrong for me to do what I did, right? Can I sleep in your other bed, please?"

"Sure," Amy nodded. "Go right ahead."

"Thanks," Lisa told her. "I love you."

"I love you too," Amy assured her as she took her daughter in her arms and ruffled her hair. "It's all gonna be okay, I promise."

* * *

"It's so nice that you decided to open the bakery a bit late today so that we could have breakfast together," Dorian told Selina. "It seems like we never have time to spend together like we used to."

"Well, you know that we both work, so it's not like it's a surprise," Selina shrugged. "Things happen. We shouldn't blame ourselves."

"You know, I just got an idea!" Dorian exclaimed, moving his knife so that the butter on it went flying everywhere. "We should get a hotel this weekend, just the two of us. What do you say?"

"I say, I say..." Selina told him, then let out a sigh of relief as the doorbell rang. "I should probably get that," she said. "It could be important!" She ran to the door, opened it, and saw a little box. She picked up the box, opened it, and found a necklace with the words _you're mine_ engraved on it. "That pig!" She whispered, and went to tell Dorian she'd be glad to spend the weekend with him.

"So you want to do it?" Dorian asked happily when she got back to the table. "That is so great! I know it's short notice, but we're leaving tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"It's great!" Selina smiled. "Perfect!"

"Who was at the door?" Dorian asked.

"Just someone with a box for me," Selina smiled. "Something I ordered over the internet. It was a real surprise. I wasn't expecting it yet."

"Aren't little surprises like that nice?" Dorian smiled.

"Yeah," Selina said through her teeth as she looked at the necklace again and ripped a banana in half. "I should really find the person who sent it and _thank_ them."

* * *

"I got your little gift!" Selina raged at Elijah when she barged into his house the next day, not long before she and Dorian were supposed to leave. It was a risk because she still had to pack and Dorian knew it. "It's...it's real cute, you know? What in the hell were you thinking? My husband was there when it was dropped off!"

Elijah chuckled, came and took the box out of her hand and then put the necklace on her. "He didn't see it, did he?"

"Well, no, but it's still not a good idea!" Selina replied. "And he's sure gonna see it now, you crazy-" She broke off as he kissed her and quickly began undoing her dress buttons.

"What are you doing?" She whispered. "I'm not keeping this! I came to give it back!"

"At least wear it a little while longer," he said and moved a strand of hair out of her eyes before kissing her neck. "Only this, in my bed. Please."

"No, no...I can't," Selina stepped back. "I can't. I really have to go, I..." Her eyes widened. "No, no! Don't take off your shirt!" She took a few steps forward and they struggled, her trying to pull it back down and him trying to get it off.

Then, of course, once they reached the bedroom, they were both kissing furiously and shedding both their clothes as he picked her up and carried her to his bed.

"Oh, geez," she panted as he lay her down on the bed, rubbed her under her panties, and entered her repeatedly with his finger. "Oh, damn, yes..." She threw her arms around him and kissed him as he rubbed against her and nibbled on her neck.

"Come inside me," she begged. "Please, oh, please..."

He shifted her body so that she was underneath him and he was peering down at her. "Oh, baby, you have no idea how much I want to..."

Then her panties were off and he was tasting her as she giggled and shouted his name, but just as he was about to bury himself inside her after throwing his boxers into the pile, her phone, which was sticking out of her purse, began ringing.

"Go turn it off!" Elijah groaned, nibbling on her ear and giving her a spank as she got out of his bed. She saw who was calling and groaned.

"I have to take this," she said.

"No, but why?" Elijah asked.

"Because Dorian and I are about to leave for a weekend getaway," Selina told him. "That's why I said I couldn't stay long. Now he's calling to look for me, so thanks a lot!" She answered the phone and Dorian, of course, spoke.

"Darling, are you packed yet?" He asked. "Where in the world are you?"

"Sorry," she said. "I was buying some...sexy clothes for our trip and I lost track of time. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course I can," Dorian told her. "See you in a few minutes!"

"See you," Selina told him and ended the call.

As she dressed, Elijah, his face an ugly shade of purple, began ranting as he put on a robe. "Are you honestly trying to tell me that you're going to let that...that thing touch you?"

"The word you're looking for is 'demon'," Selina said. "And yes. I kind of have to if I don't want him to catch on that I'm sort of cheating on him, don't I? Oh, and it's probably good that we didn't have sex if I'm supposed to have sex with him at the hotel. Don't want another Sam and Lucy situation, do we?"

"No," Elijah shook his head, remembering the time she'd given birth to twins, one fathered by his own brother, and the other, the result of a fling with Damon Salvatore, who'd apparently taken some miracle fertility potion beforehand. And of course Lucy and Sam were perfectly decent children, but it had been a situation that he hoped Selina had no desire to repeat. "No, we certainly don't, especially if one of the children was mine. No child of mine will ever share womb space with a demon child. It's too much to even think about!"

"Well, it's not gonna happen, so I don't know why you're fussing," Selina told him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go!" She took the necklace off and threw it on the bed.

Elijah took one look at the necklace, then ran and blocked the door. "I can't," he said. "You're not going. You're staying here with me!"

Selina just shook her head, took his face in her hands and kissed him. "I want to," she said. "Don't you think I want to? I'm not enjoying this at all. I'm gonna...I'm gonna think of you every minute because like I said, I love _you_ , and dealing with this whole Dorian thing until I can find a good place to jump off is the best I can do. And once it's done...I'm yours forever. Please remember that." She kissed his fingers. "I know I've not given you a lot of reason to believe me when I say this but...can you just trust me? Please just be patient and trust me." She gave him one last kiss and then managed to get the door open, scurrying away as Elijah stared at the necklace on the bed, picked it up, put it on the dresser, and got in bed to breath in her scent that had been left on the pillow.

* * *

"It was so nice of them to keep our room for us even though we were late," Selina told Dorian as he carried her through the hotel room door. "And I'm really sorry about that. I know it's my fault and I could not be more apologetic."

"I know, I know," Dorian told her. "But considering the excuse you gave me, I can't be too upset, can I?" He sat them both down on the bed. "I can't wait to see that stuff you bought!"

"Oh, I'll look much better out of it, trust me," Selina said, grabbing a tiny bag out of her suitcase and heading into the bathroom as Dorian stripped down to his boxers and poured them both some champagne.

"You can do this," Selina thought to herself as she changed. "I mean, sure he's not Elijah, but he's attractive, and he's never been _horrible_ in bed. You've done much worse."

She then emerged from the bathroom with a smile, accepting Dorian's offer of champagne readily.

"Here's to new beginnings," he told her. "We've been a little lost lately but I hope this is a chance to start over."

"Yeah," Selina nodded and gulped the glass down and asked for another. "Me too."

After one more glass each, they got into bed and, just as Selina had expected, she didn't _hate_ any of her kisses or caresses, but she didn't _love_ them.

This was not lost on Dorian. "I know it's been a while and I'm a bit out of practice," he said. "But let's...let's just take a break and have another go at it, all right?"

"All right," Selina nodded, feeling that was fair. But the second time, although slightly improved, didn't do it for her either.

"You know what, let's give it a rest for tonight," she said when he suggested they have a third go at it. "In fact, there are other ways to bond besides sex, right? We can go out to dinner, or a swim or...I'm sure there are lots of things to do here that don't involve us being stuck in this room."

"Well, all right," Dorian agreed, although he felt a little hurt. "If...if that's what you want..."

"I do, but please don't take it personally," Selina said. "It's not you, it's me."

"Why is it you?" Dorian asked. "Be honest with me. I can take it. You've never acted like this before. Is there someone else?"

"No!" Selina shook her head. "Don't poison our romantic weekend by talking like that! Let's go have that dinner, I'm starved!"

"Okay," Dorian said, his eyes narrowed on her back as he got dressed. Something was up. He could feel it in his guts. "Whatever you say, darling."

* * *

After their encounter in his room, Josh asked Juliette to give her his phone number so they could talk or he could tell her he wanted to see her again.

"But...do you have a phone?" She asked. "It doesn't look like you do, so what's the point of having my number?"

"Oh, don't worry," he said with a smile. "There's a pay phone not far from here. One of the last ones in the free world, it seems like. I'll use that."

"Well, all right," Juliette nodded and gave him her number. "Sounds good to me!"

Several visits to coffee shops followed, which were nice enough. He quickly picked up on the fact that she loved mochas and would have already ordered her one by the time she arrived. And he liked lots of foam, which would always get on his beard and mustache, which she always found amusing.

But after a while, she realized that for all their coffee shop dates, he never again offered an invitation to go back to his room. At first she cut him some slack because it seemed like he needed to ease back into the whole relationship thing after taking such a big first step, but then she got offended and decided to go to his room and tell him so.

"Juliette, is everything all right?" Pops asked when he met her at the entrance to the community. "Yes, I do know your name and I was going to tell you how grateful I am that you seem to be doing such wonderful things for Joe. He's made tremendous strides since he first came here and it's all because of you."

"Oh, don't thank me, sir," she said. "Things don't seem to be as good as you think and I'm here to ask him why. Is he in?"

"Yes," Pops told her. "In fact, I don't think he's left his room all day."

"Thank you," she said and stomped off.

She quickly found Joe's room and knocked until her knuckles hurt. "You come out here, you coward!" She cried. "You have a lot of explaining to do!"

Joe then opened the door. "If you wanted to talk, we could have just met at the coffee shop," he told her and stepped out into the hallway. "You didn't need to come here and make a scene."

"I want to talk in your room," she said firmly. "Why don't you let me in your room anymore?"

"Cause a man's space is his space and he can let whoever he wants in," Joe replied. "I just think now's not a good time for you to be in my room."

"And yet it was when we were screwing around, so what's the difference?" Juliette demanded and forced her way in. "There's like, nothing in here that I haven't seen before, so what's your problem? What's the big secret? Why don't you want to be with me anymore? Is it because I'm hideous? You have your way with me once and then that's it and you toss me aside like a used tissue? Well, I won't be used like that, if that's the case! If it's something else, and I hope with all my might that it is, please tell me! Please! If the reason you've been avoiding me is that you took a big step and now you're afraid by how far you went, you can just say it. I won't make fun of you or anything." She reached out and moved some hair out of his eyes.

He took her hand and put her palm against his cheek for a moment before kissing it gently, but then his face hardened and he threw her hand away. "I'm doing you a favor!" He croaked. "You're better off without a cruel man like me. I'm no good for you!"

"You're not cruel!" Juliette shook her head. "I refuse to believe that! You're just hurt and you don't know what to do about it, so you're pushing me away because I make you feel things. Make you want to be the person you were before you came here. Even Pops noticed it. Noticed the change in you. You're not a cruel man, you're a good man who was hurt. There's a big difference!"

"You don't know me!" Joe cried. "You don't know anything about me! So just shut up and get out!"

"Fine," Juliette told him. "You protect that heart of yours for as long as you need to. I can wait." She paused by the door and smiled. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you've cleaned yourself up a bit. Cut your hair and trimmed your beard and all that. It looks nice."

"Get out!" Joe cried. "How many times do I have to say it!"

"Okay, I'm going!" Juliette assured him.

She made her way to the door and then, as her hand began to turn the knob, Joe seemed to change his mind. He picked her up and carried her to his bed, setting her down and kissing her soundly before undressing her and taking off his shirt and undoing his pants.

"Oh, no," she shook her head. "You're not doing this halfway. Pants off. Now."

He gave her a slap and then whispered, "Don't tell me what to do."

She then squirmed, feeling tingles between her legs. Why she found this attractive, she had no idea, but she did. So when he finally decided to get out of bed and strip down the rest of the way, she nearly screamed because of all the desire building up in her body as she strained against the ropes that bound her wrists.

He chuckled, then stared down at her. "I wanna do something a little different," he told her. Then his eyes became jet black and his skin blue, his teeth like pointy little knives.

"You wanted openness," he told her in a guttural, not at all human voice. "Well, if you want to be with me, this is what you'll really be going to bed with every night!"

Though he expected her to shriek in terror, zap on her clothes, and run away, she didn't. Apart from her eye widening for a fraction of a second, she showed no fear at all.

"Thank you for being open with me," she said. "Now was that so hard?" She paused. "And please tell me this is not what foreplay will be every time!"

She then let out a shriek as he cut the skin just above her chest with his long demon nails and then slowly licked blood up from the shallow cuts. Then he went to wash himself off and when he came back, she was pleased to observe he was just as well endowed in his demon form as he had been in his human form.

"How long are you going to keep me waiting?" She asked. "You're just talk, talk, talk..and nothing! Does demon you find me unattractive?"

She didn't have time to say another word as he ran his hands over her body and then buried himself inside her over and over again, making sure her eyes were on his demon face at all times. She found herself getting lost in those inky, bottomless pools.

"You want me to show you a trick?" asked the demon. "Shut your eyes."

"Oh, kinky!" Juliette smiled. "Okay." She did and as he touched different parts of her body, she began to see things that weren't really there...him in his human form...colors, shapes. people. She felt frozen as he stared at her

"Take my hand," his voice in her head whispered. "Stick out your tongue, say my name." Every order was done. It was as if he were controlling her every move, her every thought, everything she saw.

"How did you do that?" She asked when she finally felt released from it all.

"It's my power," said the demon, running a finger down her cheek. "How easily I can get in your head..." He then kissed her and made love to her and when she next awoke, she saw a human man on the bed beside her.

"I don't know what the hell that was, but I liked it," she said, giving him an encouraging smile.

"You're kind of a freak, you know that?" He told her.

"Yeah," Juliette nodded. "I'm a freak. Queen of the freaks. Lucky you, huh? I guess you're stuck with me then."

"Yeah," Joe sighed, his latest attempt to scare her away having failed. "Lucky me."


	75. Jumping Over Hurdles

chapter 75

"Okay," Sammy told Shane, who was in his lap on the piano bench. "What note should we put here?" He held a pencil over the sheet music and waited.

Shane just began plinking on the keys and giggling.

"You're just a baby, so I'll give you pass for trying," Sammy told his son and kissed his head just as the front door slammed shut and Angie called out, "I'm home!"

"Mommy's home!" Sammy whispered. "Let's go get her!" Shane held his little arms out and when they reached the kitchen, they both caught Angie in a tackle hug just as she got her coat off.

"Well, hello to you two too!" She smiled and took Shane who immediately cuddled against her. "So," she said as they headed back to the piano. "What's going on?"

"I'm having trouble figuring out what notes to put next," Sammy told her. "Would you...?"

"You know I'd love to help but remember, I got Mom's stubby fingers and tin ear," Angelica reminded him. "You want my dad's number?"

"No, you can do it!" Sammy encouraged. "Come on!" He began playing what he had so far and stopped. "What should come next?"

"I don't know," Angie sighed. "Maybe..." Even though she felt it was cheating, she did what Ellie did and used magic to give herself piano fingers and soon, the two of them had finished several measures of music.

"Wow, I'm almost done with this one!" Sammy grinned and kissed her cheek, having Shane kiss her too. "Thanks!"

"Oh, it was nothing," she blushed. "Just glad to help."

It wasn't nothing," Sammy smiled. "I do really appreciate it."

"What happens now?" Angelica asked. "Do you want to finish your song while I...read or something? May I take Shane?"

"He seems into it," Sammy agreed and handed the little boy to his mother. "I'll watch some TV and then think about dinner. I have many options available. Any preferences?"

"Surprise me," Angie smiled.

"All righty," Sammy agreed. "Surprise dinner coming right up."

Angie then smiled, looked at the clock, and then took her son into the bathroom to give him a bath. To her surprise, her son was docile in the water, smiling at her and being still as she washed him off gently with soap and warm water, and only began giggling and splashing when he knew there was no more soap on his body.

At first, Angie was shocked but then she just smiled and splashed him back, though she was careful enough to splash so low he wouldn't get water in his eyes. Then she wrapped him in a towel, dried him off, and blew some raspberries on his tummy before putting a new diaper on him and his duck pajamas and then fed him, gave him one more kiss and tucked him in, turned on his mobile and lights, whispering good night before leaving one of her favorite boys to spend time with the other.

* * *

"Okay," Angie said that night as she came into the kitchen where Sammy had just put dinner on the table. "I have bathed Shane, fed him, and put him to bed."

"And now it's time that I did the same for you," Sammy grinned. "Obviously we're starting with eating."

"Garlic bread!" Angie cried. "And five cheese rigatoni! Yum!" She grinned. "Thank you so much. It's so nice to have hot food waiting for me when I get home."

Sammy smiled. "I have salad too. I just need to get that out, and I'll get you some blood. I know how you eat at work, just choking down whatever you can in the five minutes you let yourself stop to rest, so I want to make sure you have at least one good meal a day." He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the lips. "And after you're done eating...look under your plate." He paused as he saw her try and lift it up, curious about the little bit of paper sticking out. "No, no cheating!" He told her. " _After_ you finish eating, I said."

"Okay," Angelica smiled. "I guess I can wait!"

But Sammy kept his eyes on her as she shoveled rigatoni, salad, and blood into her face. "Slow down so you don't choke on the garlic bread," he told her. "I don't want you to have any problems before you see what's on that paper."

Angie let out a groan but did what he asked and slowed down while eating her garlic bread, even though his words made her want to see what was on the paper even more. Her first thought was, "marriage proposal," but that guess didn't last very long. He wasn't the sort and she wasn't particularly rushing the idea of marriage either. So that's probably not what it was. But other than that, she was out of ideas.

Finally, with a smile, Sammy cleared her dishes, then sat down and grinned at her as she opened the folded paper, her eyes widening as she read the words, "I love you, Angelica." She looked up, shaking her head with tears in her eyes as he hugged her and the paper fell to the floor.

"You wrote that," she whispered in between his kisses. "That's your handwriting! But I thought you couldn't..."

"I can't _say_ it," Sammy told her. "But I can write it. We have a loophole. I just thought you'd wanna know."

"Yes," Angie smiled. "I do! I do! I'm so happy!" He picked her up, and she flung her arms around his neck as her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her off to bed, undressing her and then himself, putting a spell on the door so they wouldn't wake Shane with their noise, and then grinned as he joined her in bed, she threw the blankets over them and he ran his hands all over her body, then nibbled on her and buried himself inside her over and over again as she whispered his named in his ear, tousled his hair, and told him how much she loved him.

* * *

The next morning, Sammy awoke to find himself alone in bed, but the smell of coffee and bacon wafting in through the half open bedroom door told him exactly where Angie had gone. He grinned, dressed in boxers and a t-shirt, and went to Shane's room, where he found a note on the door that said the baby had already been taken care of for now and could be brought straight to the living room, dining room, or wherever Sammy chose.

"Wow, babe," Sammy muttered to himself as he took the note down. "You're really on it today!" He then picked up Shane and cuddled and kissed him. "Mommy made Saturday brunch!" He exclaimed. "Let's go eat!"

"Morning, boys!" Angie smiled and turned around as they reached the kitchen. She was barefoot, her hair was mussed, and she wore another pair of Sammy's boxers and one of his old t-shirts. "You want eggs, Sammy?"

"Oh, yes, please. And good morning to you too!" Sammy nodded, handing her Shane for a moment so he could put his arms around her and give her a kiss. "Two, scrambled. And can I get cheese in them?"

"Of course," Angie nodded. "Coming right up. And bacon's just about done too. I think the coffee's ready for pouring. I made some of both kinds."

"I'll make sure you have a cup of decaf," Sammy smiled. "After you did all this, it's the least I can do."

"Thank you, but I like doing this," Angie smiled and bounced on the balls of her feet. "It's truly my pleasure."

"And somewhere all the gluttons in Hell are groaning about how evil you are," Sammy smiled.

Angie gave him a wink. "Well I _am_ the Devil's daughter," she said.

Sammy chuckled and sat down at the table amidst waffles and fruit and biscuits and cereal. He always asked himself how they would eat it all and somehow, they always did.

Brunch went on in peace once Angie arrived at the table with the eggs until Sammy began to eat his bacon. Then Shane let out a shriek.

"No," Sammy said firmly and tried to keep the bacon out of his son's tiny grip. "We go through this every week and you can't have any bacon, Shane. How would you eat it? You have no teeth! If I let you have some, we would just have slobbery bacon and that's no good!"

But Shane continued to whine and sob and grasp until Angie finally came to put a hand over his eyes and that quieted him just long enough for Sammy to wolf down his bacon in relative peace, and then, once that was gone, they all took a deep breath until Angie gave him some apple sauce and he became a happy baby once more.

* * *

"Okay," Sarah said as she led her son into section of her human friend Jim's rehabilitation center. "I hope this helps you decide whether or not to pursue your physical therapy plan. I'm proud of you. It's a very noble thing."

"So you...so you don't think I'm crazy?" Elliot asked. He didn't have to crane his neck so much to look down at her cause she wasn't short but she was still shorter than he was.

"For wanting to do something that's similar to what I do?" Sarah shook her head. "Heck no! It makes me happy. But it's not a walk in the park. Rehab like this can hurt a lot so some people don't always cooperate. You have to be ready for that and have a back up plan. And be gentle. You're working with humans, remember."

"Oh, I don't think I'll have any trouble," Elliot smiled when he saw that most of the people in the rehab room were women. "I mean, look at me. It'll be easy."

"All right," Sarah sighed and patted as high as she could reach on him. "Good luck. You'll be wanting to ask for Jim, okay? And he knows you're coming so..yeah."

Elliot stepped into the room and Jim, a balding man in red gym shorts and a blue t-shirt came over to him. "You must be Elliot, come to help today!" He exclaimed and led him to a sour looking blonde woman in a wheelchair. "This is Ashley. It's her first day, too. I think you'll get along just fine!"

Jim left then and the young woman continued to glower.

"You know, you're really pretty," Elliot tried. "I can't see it now, but I bet you have a beautiful smile!"

"Seriously?" She scoffed and blew a raspberry. "Does anyone fall for that line?" She paused and leaned forward. "Do you know what you're doing for real? You seem just like the sort of guy who would do something like this as an excuse to feel innocent girls up!"

"Well...I haven't had any formal training yet, no," he admitted. "But I want to. And even girls with bad attitudes like yourself are not gonna deter me!"

"Hey!" The young woman turned and yelled at Jim. "Do you really just let any guy with no experience stroll in here and do therapy on people?"

"He didn't just stroll in," Jim explained patiently. "His mother, who is a friend of mine and also a fitness instructor at another gym, said that he wanted to see what this is like before going into the field in school. Now Ashley, can we just play nice? Elliot won't do anything bad to you."

"Is his mother busy?" Ashley asked and swatted Elliot's hovering hand. "If not, I want her in here to watch before he lays a finger on me!"

"I'm sorry but I can't do that," Jim told her apologetically. "His mother doesn't work here. She works at another gym."

"Fine, _you_ watch me then," the woman told him. "You better not leave!"

"I'm sorry about this," Jim apologized. "Ashley just had an accident and she's still adjusting to her new circumstances."

"Ashley, huh?" Elliot asked dryly. "You look like an Ashley. "Now why don't you let us help you out of your chair and onto the mat so we can stretch you out?" He looked at Jim. "That's what we do, right? Or some leg massage to try and get some feeling going?"

"You would just love that, wouldn't you?" The young woman spat, her eyes narrowed. "You're not entirely a slob nobody cause your clothes are too nice, but you still...you're still a working loser!"

Elliot finally bristled. "I'm trying to help you!" He snapped as he struggled to get her out of the chair. "Why are you acting like such a bitch? What did I do?"

"If you knew who I was, you wouldn't ask such a stupid question!" Ashley raged. " _Do_ you know who I am?"

"No," Elliot shook his head. "Can't say I do."

Ashley let out a growl. "I am Ashley Cavanaugh! My father designs clothes!" She gestured at his jacket. "I think you're wearing one of his jackets! Did you steal it?"

"Oh, so you've never actually done anything yourself then?" Elliot asked, nonplussed and ignoring her question as he ran his fingers through his hair and tried to hold onto his temper. "Why do you expect me to be impressed? Call me when you actually do something useful with your life." He was remembering now. He'd read about her debilitating, drunken car crash in the news. The poor tree she'd hit. The poor old tree that had lived thousands of years probably until she'd shown up and ruined everything.

"Can you believe this guy?" She demanded of Jim, who was trying not to burst out laughing.

His attitude just made her more bitter and he only made it halfway through his hour when he finally had enough. "Okay, you clearly don't want help," he said. "I'm normally a very patient person, but you...what kind of a psycho do you have to be to make yourself 'lose your balance' four times and fall down? You're just...you want me to go nuts, don't you?"

"If it'll make you leave, then yes," Ashley spat. "Yes I do." She then stayed upright for a few seconds with Jim's help, making sure Elliot saw just as he exited the gym. She was a pain in the ass but he would not be beaten. He would be back to help her, even if it killed both of them.

* * *

While her brother was encountering difficulties with spoiled heiresses, Juliette was much more at ease with her no frills secret lover.

"I know that take out isn't the most romantic," Joe grinned as he plunked down a tray with rice, sweet and sour chicken, shrimp and noodles, crab rangoons, and fortune cookies down in front of her. "But on the bright side, I didn't get anything with garlic in it in case you want to kiss after." He gave her a hopeful look.

"Well, yeah," Juliette smiled and dug into her shrimp. "Why would I say 'No' to that? And I like what we're doing. I like that you invited me to a date in your room since I know it's your private space and all."

"I'm...not so keen on that anymore," He admitted. "Now that I'm spending more time with you, I don't like being on my own as much."

"Good," Juliette smiled and straightened out the edge of the blanket they were eating on (which was freshly laundered from the smell of it.) "I'm very glad to hear that."

Joe smiled as she wolfed down her food without a hint of shame. "Now I know why you were so enthusiastic about that shrimp," he remarked and dug into his sweet and sour chicken. "You really seem to like it."

"Oh, yeah," Juliette nodded. "I really love shellfish." She opened the crab rangoons and asked, "How many do you want? I like those also and I don't want to deprive you."

"You have what you want," he said. "I'll have what's left over. I don't mind, really."

"Wow, you're letting me have all the crab rangoons, you're getting more furniture, you've cleaned up...it's almost like you like me or something," she grinned and then paused worriedly. Maybe she'd gone to far with that remark.

But it was fine. Especially when he broke his fortune cookie in half and declared that his fortune said that he would be spending the night with a beautiful woman.

"Oh, it does not say that!" Juliette chuckled. "I mean, it, it's not wrong, but I bet it doesn't say that."

"Well, it basically does," Josh smiled, getting close and putting his arm around her. "What does yours say?"

"Happiness can be found in the most unlikely of places," Juliette read as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Wow, the cookies are on fire today!"

"Yeah, they sure are," Joe agreed.

Then Juliette kicked off her shoes and sat on his bed. "This seems much more comfortable," she observed. "Did you get a new mattress?"

"Yeah," Joe nodded and sat beside her, gently massaging her feet with their black polished toes. "I'm starting to sell out to the man and it's all your fault. I hope you're proud." He smirked and ruffled her hair.

She smiled and kissed him. "Well I'm glad you're more comfortable," she said. "But don't change all the way. I like 'no muss, no fuss' Joe."

"That is not gonna go away entirely," he swore as they both fell back onto the mattress and grinned at each other. "I swear." He held her close against him and kissed her. "And I hope you won't change either."

"Oh, heck no!" Juliette shook her head vigorously. "The fancy clothes and all that is my brother's department, not mine."

"You got a brother?" Joe asked. "You never said."

"Well, I do," Juliette nodded. "We're twins. He's older and taller and it's very annoying. Heck, you know, my parents didn't even know I was there at first. Mom went to have my brother and then I was like, hiding behind one of her organs and they almost didn't see me. Dad heard me cry just before they sewed her up."

"Damn, if that's not a story," Joe told her. "Good thing your dad has such sharp eyes. He sounds like a good guy."

"We're close," Juliette nodded. "I think you'd like him." She paused. "What about you? Do you have any brothers and sisters?"

"I'm not really close with a lot of my family which is how I ended up here," Joe told her. "I was a bit wild and my dad had issues with it. And I have a daughter, but...I didn't know where she is now or if she'd even want to see me again. _Two_ daughters actually."

"What are their names?" Juliette asked.

"Well, one is named Hannah, and the other is named..." He broke off and cleared his throat. "Sorry...it kind of hurts me to think about her."

"That's okay," Juliette told him. "We don't have to talk about this anymore if you don't want to."

"Thanks for understanding,' Joe said. "I just...I really loved her, you know? She was just a little girl when I first met her and her dad wasn't around so I..."

Juliette hugged him. "I know you did good and wherever she is, I bet she remembers and appreciates your efforts," she assured him. Then she smiled. "You...you wanna take a shower? The warm water might help you feel good."

"Yeah, it might," Josh nodded and just held her. "And then...do you know anything about cutting hair?" He shook his dark shoulder-length tresses. "I think I'm due for a trim."

"Sure," Juliette nodded. "You go shower and get all relaxed and then I shall be your barber."

"Thanks," Joe took her in his arms and kissed her. "I really appreciate it."

His shower wasn't long and when he came back, looking refreshed and smiling, she led him to a chair, got out a pair of scissors she'd enchanted to do a competent haircut, and soon, all his split ends were cut off and he looked very neat.

"I hope you don't mind that I left some of the length," she said. "I like having a little to play with."

"That's fine with me," Joe grinned. He then got up and turned the chair around so that it was facing her before he sat in it again. Soon, she was straddling him and they were kissing wildly, not even noticing when the chair fell over and they hit the floor. At least not right away.

"Oh, are you all right?" Joe finally asked, feeling for bumps on Juliette's head. "I hope you're not hurt too much."

"No, not at all," Juliette grinned. "A little bruised, but it's totally worth it. Are you hurt?" She ran her fingers through his hair and cupped his face in her hands before kissing him soundly.

"No, I'm not hurt," Joe said with a smile. "You could never hurt me."

"No," Juliette agreed. "I never will, I promise."


	76. Losing Forever

Selina truly felt bad for how she'd treated Dorian during their weekend, so she took pains to make it up to him. Not overdoing it, of course. But she didn't see Elijah again and made a concerted effort to be more affectionate toward her husband, especially in the morning so he could go the whole day knowing that she cared for him.

"I have to say that the eggs Benedict you made this morning was marvelous, my darling," he told her with a smile one day. "Just the thing to get me through my boring meeting!"

"Good," Selina smiled and came to help him with his jacket as he stood and pushed his chair in. "And will you still be available to meet me for lunch? I'll make sure there's some coconut cake for you. I love you, Dorian, and I'm sorry that we drifted apart. I really am."

"I know you are," he said and pulled her close, holding her for a long time. "But that doesn't matter now. We can change things. We have all the time in the world." He gave her a quick kiss. "Off to my meeting now. Goodbye, my love."

"Goodbye," Selina murmured as she followed him to the door and watched him leave.

He knew she was watching out the window and just before he got in his car, he turned around and waved at her before driving away. Then she smiled at herself, shut the yellow curtains, and went to put the dishes in the machine and get dressed. Then she grabbed her keys and drove to the bakery. It was time to get a start on what promised to be a very wonderful day.

* * *

"Are you on your way?" Lucifer asked as Dorian drove toward the red brick building where they'd agreed to meet and chat. Since the chat involved something that could possibly kill him and Selina didn't like thinking about that, he'd made an excuse for her. "You're running a little late."

"I know and I apologize," Dorian told him. "But you know how Selina likes to have long breakfasts in the morning. And she's making up for whatever wrong she was doing against me so I can't be mad about it."

"You know for sure that she was cheating?" Lucifer asked in amazement. In his experience, she was never that up front. She hated confrontation in situations like that and would lie or just plain move on from man to man to avoid discomfort. "She told you outright?"

"No, she didn't, but the feeling that I had during our weekend, that something was off, is gone now," Dorian sad. "She's been much more attentive and I'm choosing to take that positively."

"Good," Lucifer told him. "Good. And I brought my son to our meeting. I hope that's all right with you."

"Of course," Dorian said, "Why would I object?"

"Well, I just wanted to tell you in case you were thinking this would be just between us," Lucifer explained. "Are you almost here?"

"Yep," Dorian nodded. And just as he pulled into the building parking lot and turned off the ignition, his car exploded while Noah, who had come to ask for more aid in finding Willie's parents' killer, and Lucifer on in shock.

* * *

Not long after, Selina's phone rang, and, thinking it was Dorian who had forgotten something for his meeting, answered immediately without looking to see who it really was. "Dorian, what did you forget? Tell me and I'll bring it down once you tell me where your meeting is."

"This isn't Dorian, darling," came Lucifer's voice. "And please come to that red brick building on third near the car wash. You know which one I mean, right? Hurry, don't dawdle!"

"Why?" Selina asked, rising. He didn't sound good. "What's the matter?"

"It's Dorian, he's been hurt," Lucifer confessed. "His meeting was to talk with me. This is my fault. I'm sorry."

"I'll be there as fast as I can," Selina promised as she tried not to cry.

She got in her car and drove to the building at breakneck speed, freezing when she reached the parking lot, and Lucifer's men surrounding a burning car. Then, with a cry of anguish, she opened the door, threw herself out of it, and ran awkwardly toward the wreck.

"That's my husband in there!" She cried. "That's his BMW! Let me get him! Let me save him!"

But Lucifer grabbed her just before she threw herself on to the heap of twisted metal and got a good look at Dorian's charred and contorted corpse, or at least what was left of it that they could find. "He was blown up," Lucifer whispered quietly in her ear. "You know that's one of the few ways to do a demon in. He's gone, there's nothing more you can do."

Selina turned, sobbing openly. "Well, if there's no hope then why did you make me come down here?" She cried. "You know...you know I'm not good with stuff like this that makes me hurt! You _know_ this!"

"I do, darling, I do," Lucifer nodded. "But I...I couldn't just leave you in the dark about this. I couldn't. Is that what you would have wanted?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I guess, in a way, it's good to know." She cried on his shoulder a bit longer and then accepted a few tissues from Noah.

"Thank you," she told him. "I needed those." Then she looked around. "What are all these men doing here? Shouldn't we call the police?"

"These are my men," Lucifer assured her. "They'll get the job done. Before he got here, Dorian told me he'd found something horrible that was a threat to both humans and supernatural creatures alike. Didn't know much more than that, and it looks like someone wanted to make sure he _wouldn't_ know more. Because of that, I didn't think this was a matter for the human police."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "Okay."

Lucifer then looked at Noah. "Since she can't do any more here, would you take Selina home, son?"

"Yeah," Noah nodded and offered Selina his arm. "Sure I will. That seems like a very good idea."

"Thank you," Selina said to Noah graciously as they left the parking lot. "Thank you for getting me away."

"You're welcome," Noah told her. "I'm glad to."

Then, Lucifer called Elijah to tell him what happened, glad that this would take his mind off the stupid deal he'd suggested to get Dorian out of the way. And see if he'd taken things into his own hands like a fool.

"What?" Elijah asked in surprise. "You...you mean he's really dead?"

"Yes, and I hope you didn't have anything to do with this," Lucifer chided him. "I know you want Selina badly but the way to go about it is not to kill her husband. If you would have just waited, she would have divorced him!"

"I didn't have anything to do with this!" Elijah snapped. "Like I told her, I don't need to stoop to using such crude tactics to get rid of a rival. She was close enough to ending things with Dorian anyway, like you say, that I could and would have waited! What sort of an idiot do you take me for?"

"I hope you're smart enough not to be taken for an idiot at all," Lucifer said. "Now, I assume you want to go to Selina's house and comfort her in her time of distress?"

"Naturally," Elijah agreed. "I will be a gentleman about it of course."

"I know you'll try your hardest, Elijah," Lucifer agreed. "I also know that her vulnerability is a big turn on for you, so just...be careful, would you? Don't do anything you're going to regret later. Don't make things worse for yourself."

"I won't," Elijah swore, although he knew it was easier to promise this when Selina was _not_ naked and vulnerable in front of him. "I'll do my best, I promise."

* * *

Once Selina had been taken home, she changed into her bathrobe, slippers, and pajamas, opened a bottle of whiskey, and cried while she drank it. She had just opened a second bottle when there was a knock at the door.

She got up, swore, and headed to the door. "Go away!" She demanded. "I don't want to talk to anyone now."

"Darling, Lucifer told me about Dorian," Elijah called. "I just...I just came to offer my condolences. Then I'll leave you in peace, I promise."

Selina opened the door and when he got over the threshold, she fell into his arms. "He's dead!" She cried. "Oh, my god, Dorian's dead!"

"It'll be okay," he said as he took the bottle away from her, held her close against his body, and kissed her hair. "It'll be okay. Maybe you shouldn't be alone. Do you want me to stay here with you?"

"Okay," Selina sniffled in a very unbecoming way and wiped her mascara-ed eyes, making them smudgy. "I know I look hideous," she got out. "I'm sorry."

"No," he said firmly. "I think you're beautiful." Then he leaned his head forward a few inches and kissed her deeply.

"What was that?" She asked when they pulled apart.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said. "I...now's probably not the right time. You probably think I'm horrible, but..."

Selina shook her head. "I might have just had a lot of whiskey so I'm drunk and saying bad things, but what this has taught me is that life is short! If we wanna have sex, we should have sex. But not in my bed. The couch is closer."

"All right," Elijah nodded and picked her up. His brain was torn. On the one hand, she was drunk and grieving and was it wrong to do it with someone who was drunk and grieving? On the other, she was stripping naked and very beautiful and if he let this pass, he was an idiot.

"Don't keep me waiting, sailor," she said in a breathy voice and gave him a come hither look. "If you want me to rip off your clothes with my teeth, I will."

"No, no," Elijah shook his head and stripped faster than he'd ever stripped in his before joining her on the sofa, gently sucking her nipples, and tasting her slowly. "No, you beautiful woman! I'm good!"

"Me too," Selina laughed. "Good, good."

They then decided there wasn't enough room on the couch, so he moved her to the floor and buried himself inside her over and over. Same thing happened on the kitchen table, and for a little variation, she rode him hard whie he sat in one of the kitchen chairs.

"Damn, I forgot how much stamina you have," he told her.

"How could you forget that, you silly?" Selina asked. "Wanna go to a bedroom now, or are you too tired?"

"I'm never too tired!" He proclaimed, picking her, putting her over his shoulder, and carrying her to the penthouse's guest bedroom where he threw her down on the mattress and began nibbling on her neck and rubbing her. This was much more comfortable to do in a bed, especially when it came to being inside her.

It took a few more bottles of whiskey, but they made it through the rest of the day and the evening and around midnight, after getting sick in the bathroom while Elijah held back her hair, Selina stumbled back into bed and collapsed at last.

"I can't do this anymore," she confided. "I'm very sleepy!"

"I bet you are," he said and rubbed her tummy. "You worked very hard today. Do you feel better?"

"Not a lot," she confessed as he plumped her pillow and tucked her in. "It's a start, though."

* * *

The next morning, Selina woke up face down in her pillow. Her head was throbbing and the room was spinning. She got up, stumbled to the bathroom, and when she finished in there and came out, saw a male figure at the foot of her bed holding a glass.

"Have this," said his voice. "You look like you need it."

"Thank you, Dorian," Selina said automatically, so out of it she didn't realize it was Elijah. But that became clear to her after she'd had a bit of hangover remedy.

"What the hell?" She cried, rushing to cover herself with a blanket. "I'm naked, get out!" She looked down. "And for god's sake, zip up your pants!" Then it hit her. "You and I...we didn't...oh...no, no!"

"Yes, we did," Elijah said. "A lot."

"How could you?" She hissed and gave him a slap. "You took advantage of me at a vulnerable moment! I thought you were a gentleman! But I guess as long as you get what you want, to hell with gentlemanly behavior, right? And what about Amy? At least when I picked someone else, it was a complete stranger! You moved on with your brother's wife and my best friend! What's she gonna say about all this?"

"She and I are very much alike. She'll understand," Elijah said.

"If she's smart she won't," Selina spat. "I hope she runs out on you and makes you alone and miserable. You should leave, go back to her, and apologize for the wrong you've done! Do that and leave me alone just like you promised you would do last night."

"I...I will concede that last night was an error in judgment on my part, and very selfish and I apologize," he told her. "I should have kept my distance. I'm sorry."

"Damn right you should have!" Selina nodded. "But it doesn't surprise me that you didn't. You probably had someone put the bomb in Dorian's car, too. Even if you say you wouldn't, it would get the job done and you could have me all to yourself! Well, that is disgusting! I won't dishonor a man who genuinely loved me by continuing to give myself to his _murderer!_ "

"I didn't murder him!" Elijah told her. "I swear!"

"You're a liar!" She yelled and shoved him toward the door. "Get out of my sight! I hope last night was worth it for you because I never want to see you again as long as I live!

Elijah's mouth opened and closed several times. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so hurt. But he'd gotten himself in this position and now he was facing the consequences.

"All right," he said and grabbed the rest of his clothes, his dark eyes steady on hers. "I'm leaving now. And let me say again how sorry I am for how I behaved last night. At least for how it affected you. I'm sorry Dorian is gone, but you and I both know that the only reason you feel you love him so much now is because of the guilt you felt over cheating on him and because he's dead now. If he were still alive, you wouldn't hesitate to make your way back to me."

Her jaw dropped when she heard this and before she could get a word out, he spoke again.

"Oh, yes, I know that. Which is exactly what I told Lucifer when he also accused me of orchestrating Dorian's death to get close to you: that I knew you were going to come to me anyway and soon...so why do something so crude as murdering him when it would get me exactly in the spot I'm in now, which is more trouble with you, and the last thing I want when I love you so much?"

"Don't ask me how your twisted mind works," Selina yelled and slapped him again. "All you care about is yourself! Your wants, your needs!"

"I care about your needs too," he said and grabbed her wrist, pulling her close. "Especially since _I'm_ one of those needs. You love me, Selina. And you always will, no matter how much you try to deny it."

"I can't love a man who won't accept me for how I am," Selina countered. "The good and the 'bad' parts. Dorian could do that and you never could. You never will. That's why he'll always be in my heart and I'll never forget him. Now please go away."

Elijah's lips pursed and his face lost all color. She hadn't slapped him again, but she might as well have. He stumbled backwards, fell on his butt, then got up and turned his back on her. "I'm going now," he said.

"Good," Selina snapped. "Goodbye and good riddance!" She slammed the bedroom door on his retreating back, grabbed her and Dorian's wedding photo off the bedside table, and sobbed, muttering apologies to her late husband as she held the photo close to her heart.


	77. Remember The Night

"What's going on here?" Klaus demanded of Elijah as he came through the door of his brother's house and nearly bumped into some moving men who were taking furniture out of the house and putting it into a truck. "Why are all these people taking your things, Elijah? And is that Sold sign in front of your house some joke?"

"No, can't say it is," Elijah told him. "I've sold the house and i am going to stay in London for a bit. I've saved some of your things I have. Take them if you'd like to keep them."

"But _why_ are you leaving?" Klaus asked. "Don't tell me this is about Selina and that fight you had? Leaving is _not_ the way to deal with it!"

"You're one to talk!" Elijah snapped. "She broke things off with you and you wiped her memory of your entire relationship!"

"And now I wish I hadn't!" Klaus snapped. "Learn from my mistakes, brother!"

"She told me she wanted me to leave and never wants to see me again!" Elijah cried. "What's the point in staying?"

"I understand your way of thinking and I don't blame you," Klaus assured him, feeling weird being the sensible one. "But really, don't we both know that her greatest fear is of being abandoned? She's counting on you to do exactly what you're doing so she can continue to hold you at a distance because you're not trustworthy and are going to let her down. But if you..if you stay or at least stay in contact, you'll be proving something to her and there might actually be hope for you."

"Well, that's a nice thought, brother, but I've already sold the house and gotten another place of my own," Elijah said. "It's too late to change course now. I'll have to come back to her another way."

Klaus nodded. "I'm sure you'll be able to think of something. Just show her that you're willing to put down roots for both of you. Every other place you've lived has always been yours first. She probably always felt like a guest somehow."

"That's not true!" Elijah cried. "I let her decorate! Have her horrible, tasteless chairs, and gaudy colors all over my living space! You can't say I never tried!"

"It was still a half-hearted effort at most if you only considered it _your_ living space that you let her decorate and not _both_ of your living space," Klaus said. "Just something to think about if you don't want things with her to crash and burn again." He paused, a grin on his lips as Elijah pouted a little. He hated his faults being thrown in his face. "I see I've agitated you enough for today. I know it's annoying for you to find out you're wrong about something, but at least think about what I said while I get my things and go."

"All right, all right," Elijah sighed. "I suppose you have a point. A small one, but a point nonetheless. It's very unsettling."

"Good," Klaus nodded and stepped away. "If I've made you unsettled, my work here is done then. Have a good time in London. I hope you get exactly what you went for."

And he left his brother, as Elijah had said, sinking into a chair and feeling very, _very_ unsettled. Maybe even sick.

* * *

Elijah wasn't able to have a deep breath until he was driving out in the country with no people or cars in sight. He had to admit (some place deep, deep down) that his brother was right, and that leaving Selina now was not the best thing to do, but she had said she didn't want to see him again. It was no use talking to her now. He'd have to show his devotion first and he needed time to figure out how to do that. He drove by the occasional out of the way ranch and smiled, thinking to himself what a nice life the people who lived in those places must have. Just like he'd like to have with Selina.

He needed to give her stability. Proof that he was in it for the long haul, just as his brother had said. A completely new living space where it wouldn't be so jarring to see her style put with his. Maybe he could get them a house. A nice, quiet, country house. With a large kitchen for her to cook in and a nice view of nature outside. She would like that. And, truth be told, so would he.

This seed of an idea sprouted in his mind and when he pulled into the house he'd decided to take residence in, he sat down at the kitchen table and wrote down everything he wanted on a pad of paper.

"Big rooms for sure. Multiple bedrooms because knowing us, we'll probably start family round two pretty soon after getting together," he muttered as he scribbled. "Big kitchen, big yard, giant library..."

Soon he had a whole pad's worth of ideas for the house. He remembered the ones he'd seen on the way here. Now the question was, could he buy one? Or would it be best to hire some warlock architects to make it from the ground up? That's what it would have to be. Doing it with humans would take too long.

He got on the phone and called Alistair, who he could usually count on for sound advice about anything.

"Are you all right?" Alistair asked. "I heard that you and Selina are having difficulties and that her husband is dead. Are you really leaving when this is the perfect chance to fix things in good time? Leaving might just make things worse!"

"How do you know about that?" Elijah questioned.

"Klaus told me since he knows you and I talk. He seems to think you'll be more likely to take advice I give you more than anything he says, so I'm so glad you called."

"I actually didn't call about that," Elijah told him. Witches and warlocks in general were very perceptive people and the warlock who'd formerly been Klaus' valet/minder/right hand man was one of the best, which is why he and Elijah had bonded over the years as well. "Actually, it's _kind_ of about that, but not really. When I saw Klaus today, he suggested that I should try and show my renewed dedication to my and Selina's relationship. I was thinking of getting us a house...you know, building one from scratch so we could have a blank slate to make entirely ours. You wouldn't happen to know a good magical contractor off the top of your head, would you?"

"Yes, actually!" Alistair said. "You know, Astrid and I are in the process of redoing our kitchen and seeing what we can do about adding another bedroom, so I actually have contractors in the house at the very moment. I could go and see what their schedule is and when they could fit you in. Would you like to just come over and tell them what your plans are?"

"Oh, if it's not too much trouble," Elijah agreed. "What luck! And I have plans. Believe me, I have plans."

"I would be shocked if you didn't," Alistair told him. "See you in a little while."

* * *

When he reached Astrid and Alistair's house, there was a truck in the driveway and he entered to the sounds of the yelling of workmen and the clanging of hammers.

"Sorry about all the mess," Alistair remarked as he met Elijah at the door and guided him through all the debris from the construction. "Now...people are available as soon as possible. When would you like to start this project?"

"Soon as possible," Elijah told him. "I want to start fresh from the ground up, but I have examples of the possible house that I want."

Alistair's dark eyes peered into Elijah's own as he took the pad of paper the other man held. "What's this?" He asked. "Your plans? 'Something big, like Selina's father's place. A ranch. Big windows, a big kitchen, lots of rooms, a library...a view of valleys and horses'..." He paused. "This sounds lovely. I can see why you want to start this right away!"

"Even though the person who is going to share it with me, I figure if I start the house now and have something to show her to prove that I'm serious, that'll make things better, won't it?" Elijah questioned. "I plan to tell everyone that I've gone to London for a few months. That way I'll be less likely to be bothered and can pull off this marvelous surprise." Elijah grinned. "I can't wait to see the look on Selina's face!"

"A sound idea in theory but when you consider Selina's abandonment issues, possibly making yourself unavailable without giving her a reason will backfire on you."

"I'll make sure that she knows there's a good reason why I'm gone and that I still love her," Elijah told him. "This'll work."

"Okay," Alistair sighed and shook his head. "Whatever you say, Elijah."

"Don't look at me like that!" Elijah cried and snatched the pad from Alistair's hand. "Why is everyone looking at me like that today?"

"Do you want an honest answer?" Alistair questioned. "Or do you just want me to introduce you to your new contractor so you can take them and show them the model for the house you want?"

"Yeah," Elijah nodded. "Let's do that. I like that idea better."

"Come with me," Alistair remarked. "I think you and Tom will get along famously."

So Elijah followed him and then he and Tom got in his car and drove back to the spot where Elijah had found the large, cabin-like houses in the country-side, including one that seemed to have been abandoned.

"What work I could do with that," Tom remarked and got out of the car. "It would save you time."

"Thank you, but no," Elijah said. "I want to start this house completely new, from ground up. I don't want it to be something that has belonged to someone else before. But can you use this house as a model? I like that Idea."

"Sure," Tom nodded, running a tanned hand through his dark hair. "If you want to go to all that trouble, I'm not gonna complain." He picked a camera up out of his car and began snapping photos of the exterior of the house.

"You wanna come in with me?" He asked.

"Sure," Elijah said. "Let's go and have a look inside. I hope it's as big inside as it looks from the outside."

And it was. Elijah couldn't understand why anyone would want to abandon a place as heavenly as that big lovely house with its large yard, big rooms, and porch swing, but their loss was his gain.

"So you have all the pictures?" Elijah asked Tom.

"Oh, yeah," Tom nodded. "I have everything I need visually. And do you mind if I take the notes you made up?"

"Sure," Elijah nodded and handed them to him. "Thanks! I can't wait to see what you do with all this."

* * *

"Adrian!" Selina exclaimed when she opened the door to a knock, the first one she'd answered in a few days. "I...I thought your father was coming. He's the one who called me and said he had something important to say!"

"He is," Adrian replied as Klaus came up behind him. "But I offered to come too so you wouldn't think he was up to anything."

"Of course I wouldn't think that," Selina gave him a small smile and let them both in. "I'm so glad you came. I've been a bit lonely here. The cleaning lady comes sometimes and we even went out to the movies yesterday cause I was lonely."

"We're very sorry about Dorian," Adrian said and gave his mother a hug. "You look very nice."

"I...I didn't want to look like some sort of troll with people coming," Selina smiled and looked at Klaus. "What can I get you guys? I made brownies."

"Oh, we don't need anything, but...Adrian would you get your mother a drink before I tell her what Elijah has done?" Klaus asked his son as Adrian nodded and headed to the kitchen while Klaus urged Selina into a chair.

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "Sure." He went into the kitchen and came back with some water. "Here you go," he said and handed it to his mother.

"This isn't a drink," she said, looking at the clear liquid with a wince.

"Well, it's what you're getting," Adrian said firmly. "I don't think you should have anything stronger."

She pouted at him and winced as she took a sip. "Now, what's going on?" She asked. "What's that scumbag you call a brother done now and why the hell should I care? I told him I didn't want to see him ever again and I meant it."

"And he heard you loud and clear," Klaus assured her. "He sold his house and headed for London."

Selina heard this, spit her water out, and started coughing until Adrian hit her on the back. "What? Are you serious? How could he? What? Why? That little..." She paused and cleared her throat, trying to become detached again. "I mean, how nice for him. I hope he remembered his umbrella. It rains a lot there, you know."

"You can stop pretending," Adrian told her. "It's obvious you still care about him. We won't tell anyone."

"Oh, I most certainly do not!" Selina cried. "We had one really hot night together. That doesn't prove anything! Especially since the scumbag left! If it had meant something to him, he would have stayed!"

"But you told him to leave!" Adrian got out. "You told him to leave, but you wanted him to stay?"

"He should know that when I'm mad and push people away, it doesn't mean they should actually go away!" Selina cried. "Just, you know, let me have my peace until I'm ready to talk to them again. I don't see why that's so hard to figure out."

Adrian and Klaus just gave one another a look, knowing that no matter how they responded to this very childish proclamation, it wouldn't be anything Selina wanted to hear.

"Anything else we can get you?" Adrian questioned after a bit of silence. "Are you tired of being alone? Do you want us to stay with you?"

"No, thank you," Selina shook her head. "I think I would like to be alone again now if you don't mind, just to digest this news. Thanks for telling me about it and not being like your uncle, who's a coward!"

"All right, we're going now," Adrian said and kissed the top of his mother's head. Then he and Klaus made their way out of the penthouse, stopping by the kitchen to put all the wine up high so that Selina wouldn't overdo it when she was by herself, while thanking their lucky stars she was tiny and they could get away with it.

Once she was sure they were gone, Selina went to the kitchen and growled in frustration when she saw what they'd done. Then she went and got a pack of cigarettes instead, sticking it in her mouth and lighting it. Then she grabbed her phone and called Elijah's number.

And just as Klaus and Adrian had said, there was nothing on the other end except a female voice saying, "I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service at this time."

"Damn him," Selina hissed and slammed the phone down before blowing smoke. "Damn that man!"

She then laid down on the sofa and shut her eyes, trying to relax, and as she did and blew smoke out of her nostrils, more intimate details from her her and Elijah's last encounter came flooding back. She had been very drunk so she wasn't quite sure how much of it had actually happened and what she was imagining, or if all of it was real or all of it was pretend, the product of the mind of a desperate, lonely, and horny woman. Because she did want him, if she were being entirely honest with herself. For all the heartache and frustration he'd brought her over the years, he'd also brought her love and passion, and finally gave her someone in her life who truly seemed to give a damn, which in her experience, was something very rare.

He was both someone could both cuddle her and fuck her and do both equally well. And though it was a given that he had a hell of a body, it was the smell of him that she loved most, and she was remembering what that was for the first time in years; really nice cologne that masked the very natural smell he was trying to hide, but that someone like her, who was an animal deep down, found particularly irresistible.

 _She wouldn't have told him cause his reply would have made her want to scream in his face, but though most of it was hazy and had been hazy the whole night, she began to remember it all when he'd plopped her down on the bed and began nibbling on her neck, the prick of his teeth bringing her out of her drunken haze just a little bit before the relaxing feeling of her blood being drawn out as he rubbed her brought her back to a place of relaxation that made her not really care about anything else. It was like being on morphine again._

 _"This is nice," she drawled. "Do I taste good?"_

 _"Oh, yes," he'd whispered in her ear. "I forgot how sweet you taste. And I'm getting quite a sweet tooth."_

 _Then, she'd gasped as he'd buried himself inside her over and over. It felt like he was being overwhelmed by his need for her and it was all coming out so she didn't mind, even when she hit her head on the headboard and let out a shriek._

 _"Are you okay?" He'd asked her._

 _"Oh, yeah," she slurred, her hips bucking forward. "Fine. Do it again, harder and harder!"_

 _After a little bit longer, they'd paused for a drink or...several, and gotten back to it. She hadn't wanted to stop. Admitting weakness in front of him was not something she liked to do. But she was very surprised when all he did was nod and cuddle while they got their bearings. They were both warm and relaxed, fulfilled in a way neither of them had been before. This had been long overdue for both, there was no denying it. But strangely, that was all. No real tenderness in the feeling. She could fall asleep right now cause she'd gotten what she came for. And she could tell, even though he was trying to hide it, he felt the same way._

 _"I know we're both tired," she remarked as he was about to roll off her. "But first, I wanna say you've got yourself a real nice ass now. I'll probably be having dreams about your ass." She reached over, cupped it with both hands, and chuckled._

 _He chuckled too, blushing just slightly as she gave it a squeeze. "How nice of you to notice," he said. "I've been working on it." He then ran his fingers through her hair. "If you want to go to sleep, it's okay, we can."_

 _She hugged him harder. "No, thank you, not yet," she said. "Let's stay like this a little longer. I like your body against mine."_

 _"Yeah," he'd nodded and kissed her. "Me too."_


	78. Finding Home

"I...I have something I have to tell you!" Juliette cried in between pants as she burst into her niece Lily-Eleanor's room. She'd run all the way there, so eager was she to get the news about Joe out. "I...I met a guy and I think...I think I'm falling for him! He makes me all tingly. You know how that feels, right? Maybe your guy and you and my guy and me could go out for coffee sometime."

"I...I don't have a guy," Lily-Eleanor confessed, as she shifted position to sit cross-legged on the bed. "I've tried dating and sex and it just...I felt nothing! I feel more warm fuzzy feelings for Aunt Valerie's dog than I do any of the guys I've tried to go out with."

"Well, that's...that's okay," Juliette got out. "Are you okay with that?"

"I guess," Lily-Eleanor nodded. "It's still a bit weird though." She paused. "So this guy you like...what's his name?"

"Joe!" Juliette smiled and then said in a spooky voice..."And he's a _demon!"_

Lily-Eleanor raised an eyebrow and pushed a strand of red hair out of her eyes. "Is that supposed to scare me? Because it doesn't."

"No, I was just making a joke!" Juliette explained. "I can't wait for you to meet Joe. I really think you'll like him. I mean, we haven't talked about meeting each other's families yet and the only time we go anywhere outside of his apartment is for coffee, but we'll get there."

Lily-Eleanor just shook her head. "I don't know about this," she told her aunt. "Don't you think it's a bit fishy that he hardly takes you anywhere in public? What if he's up to something? What if this turns into a dangerous thing? Please be careful!"

"Thank you, but you don't have to worry about me," Juliette assured her and gave her a hug. "If he ever tries anything with me, I'm more than capable and definitely willing to kick his ass, although based on how most of our dates go, that might be more of a turn on then a deterrent, but whatever."

"All right," Lily-Eleanor sighed. She was still doubtful. "But do you promise that you'll tell someone if things go wrong?"

"Yes," Juliette nodded. "I will, I swear!"

"Good," Lily-Eleanor nodded and hopped off her bed to go rummage through her closet. "Now, Nick is taking me out tonight for a brother-sister date thingy. Wanna help me figure out what to wear?"

"Sure," Juliette nodded and started looking through the opposite side. "It's a shame I'm so much tinier than you," she remarked. "Cause some of this stuff I'd really like to borrow."

"That's fine," Lily-Eleanor told her. "Some of it I'm getting a bit tired of anyway. Show me what you like and then you can have Grandpa bring it to his tailor."

"Really?" Juliette smiled, taking out a gold and white dress and wondering, just for a minute, what Joe would think when he saw her in it. Not that it meant she was changing her wardrobe entirely, but it wouldn't hurt her to have one nice dress. "Thanks!"

"That would be perfect for you!" Lily-Eleanor enthused. Then she pulled out a plum colored off the shoulder number. "And what do you think about this?"

"I think you'll look marvelous!" Juliette assured her. "I hope you and Nick have fun!"

* * *

"Do you think this is a trick?" Elliot asked Lucifer as the latter dropped him off at his parents' doorstep a few nights later. He held the note out that he'd gotten from his father, inviting him to dinner with the promise of an apology for his behavior if he came. It was crumpled from Elliot reading it, throwing it in the trash, and then pulling it out to read it again to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

"I...well, it's very difficult for _me_ to forgive terrible fathers," Lucifer reminded him. "So of course I'm suspicious about why your dad would suddenly want to apologize for his horrible behavior and reconcile, but if you think it's a good thing, who am I to say you're wrong?" He paused. "Do you want me to come in there with you?"

"No," Elliot sighed. "But thanks for the pep talk on the way over here." He watched Lucifer go and then rang the doorbell while baring his teeth. Even if this evening went horribly, it would take his mind off that stupid brat at the gym. No one, not even his father, had ever made him so mad. He was just trying to help that woman walk and she wouldn't even cooperate for her own sake which made no sense to him at all!

It was his mother who answered it, pulling him over the threshold and into her arms, her smile finally cheering him up a little.

"I'm so glad you came!" She cried. "I wouldn't have blamed you if you'd skipped it, but your father is truly serious about apologizing."

"He is?" Elliot asked. "I wasn't sure about that." Then he went silent as his father entered the room.

"Hello, Elliot," Junior got out when he could finally meet his son's eyes. "Thank you for coming. I think I owe you an apology."

"Yeah," Elliot nodded. "You do. And I hoped you meant that so we could put all this crap behind us, which is why I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt and come tonight."

"Why don't we all sit down before we do this?" Sarah suggested. "Elliot, can I get you a drink? You want anything, Sean?"

"Maybe after," Elliot told her. "Dad apologizes and then we toast to move forward."

"All right," Sarah nodded.

So Junior and Elliot sat down across from each other at the table and Sean got out, "I'm sorry for how I handled you telling me about your sexuality. It's not what I expected but I should have been kinder since I know it's not an easy thing to say."

"No, it wasn't easy and it...it hurt when I told you because I thought you could handle it. If I'd have known ahead of time that that's what your reaction would be, I would have waited or not told you at all," Elliot got out. "Are you sure you're okay with it now? Don't apologize until you really mean it."

"I do," Sean promised. "I promise I'm all right with it. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters to me." He paused. "Do you...do you have a boyfriend now?"

"I haven't actually had any serious relationships yet," Elliot told his father. "I've gone on casual dates with a few guys, drinks and stuff. But I'm still trying to get my legs under me before I jump in all the way."

"Good," Junior told him as Sarah plunked bottles of beer next to their places. "Good for you. I think that's smart."

"There is someone I sort of have feelings for but they aren't positive ones," Elliot said. "And...don't freak out, but it's a woman. I work with her at the rehab center and she's pretty, but she's the biggest pain in the ass! She got drunk, got in a car accident, and now she's doing _nothing_ to make herself better! And she acts all snobby around me when I'm just trying to help her!"

"Are you sure you don't like her even just a little?" Junior questioned as he cracked open his beer and took a swig. He knew he shouldn't needle his son about something that was obviously a sore point, but he couldn't help it."

"No, I hate her!" Elliot snapped and if you met her, you would too!" He chugged his beer, burped, and then asked his mother for another.

"I think I'll get you some water," Sarah remarked, a bit of worry in her eyes. "If you keep drinking like that you'll be in trouble and not able to drive home."

"I didn't drive here myself," Elliot said. "And I'll zap myself home if I need to. No worries."

But Sarah stayed firm about not replenishing his beer and he spent the rest of the meal downing lemonades while he and his parents ate salad, chicken, and some of Selina's lemon tarts as Sarah tried to shift the conversation to light, pleasant things that wouldn't agitate Elliot further. This was supposed to be an evening of love and reconciliation after all. It worked and she even got him to agree to move back home.

"We didn't change your room at all," she said. "It's still how you left it."

"Oh, all right," he got out, even though life at Lucifer's was not half bad and he understood very much why Ellie didn't come and visit their parents very often herself. "I'll come back home. Why not?"

* * *

He breathed a sigh of relief when the dinner was finally over. He was about to zap himself back to Lucifer's to get his things when his cell phone rang.

He answered it and heard the voice of one of the night watchmen at the gym who told him that they'd discovered he'd left his wallet there.

"Oh, thank you so much for telling me!" Elliot cried, suddenly realizing that his back pocket _did_ feel a bit light. But he'd been so desperate to get away from _her_ that he hadn't even noticed.

He ended the call and then looked at his parents. "I left my wallet at the gym and I have to go get it now," he said. "Thanks for dinner! Can't wait to be back and have more of this every night!"

"Us too!" Sarah nodded and followed him to the door and shut it once she saw him disappear from the front step. Then she turned around and started when she saw that Sean had sneaked up behind her and was standing so close that the skin of her arm brushed up against the skin of his arm.

He was grinning widely, and after Sarah gave him a slight push to get some breathing room between them, he said, "Did you hear what Elliot told us? About that girl? Doesn't it seem to you like he likes her and is protesting way too much?"

"Well, I...sort of," Sarah smiled. "You don't get your panties in a twist that much unless you really feel something but...we really shouldn't tease him about it or lord it over him or anything. Especially you! Not when you finally made him believe you'd made peace with the fact that he likes girls _and_ boys."

"Yes, but mostly a girl," Sean countered and pumped his fist in the air. "My son likes a girl the most! My world makes sense again." He pulled Sarah close to him. "Come on," he told her. "Admit it, you can't tell me you're not _a little_ relieved."

"Well, it will make for less awkward family dinners," Sarah agreed. "I'm grateful for that."

"I _promise_ I will behave myself from now on," Sean swore. "No awkward behavior."

"I hope not," Sarah said firmly. Then she gave a smile. "But Jim told me about the girl Elliot is talking about, showed me a picture of her that was in the paper. Apparently she's some heiress or something. And I can't deny that she and our son would look really wonderful together."

"See?" Sean kissed Sarah's hair. "It's comforting to know that you're just as drawn into this whole thing as I am, even if you're less willing to admit it out loud."

* * *

When Elliot arrived at the gym, the guard let him in and he quickly made his way to the rehabilitation area. He was about to go in the room when he stopped in the doorway. _She_ was by the bars and trying to get out of her wheelchair to walk. He watched her grip a bar with her hand and pull herself up with a grunt. Then she took three cautious steps before her legs gave out, and without thinking, he sped over and grabbed her before she hit the floor.

"What?" She cried. "What are _you_ doing here? Are you some sort of weird stalker? It's bad enough that you're allowed to feel me up during the day! Now I have to see your stupid face at night too?"

"You _do_ realize you were in the process of falling?" Elliot reminded her. "I didn't want you to get hurt! If I hadn't been here, would you have been able to get up? Or would you have just flailed around on the ground like a flipped turtle? And they're about to close. Why are _you_ still here?"

"Well, for cases like mine, you can get a room and stay for a while so it's easier for your doctors to keep your therapy on target," Ashley got out. "I don't know why I'm telling you this. It's none of your damn business. Now do whatever it is you came to do and leave me alone!"

He pulled her close to get in her face and shout some good parting words, but then he felt something else...a spark, a tingle...heat in places he didn't want there to be heat.

"I saw you doing the bars," he got out. "Good...good for you. I know it probably hurts you, but...you're a fighter, aren't you?"

"Are you...why are you giving me a compliment?" Ashley asked in a whisper. "If this is some way to get into my pants..."

"Oh, like I'd ever want to do that!" Elliot cried, making a noise of disgust. But he grudgingly helped her back into her chair, keeping his fingers entwined with hers, their hands fitting together like a key and its lock.

"Bye!" She snapped. "You should be going now! Your wallet is over there!" She took something out of her pocket. "And I suppose I should give this back to you."

He took it from her, seeing that it was a wadded up twenty. "If it means so much to you to have it, you can, I don't mind," he said and gave it back. As she took the bill back in her grip, she grabbed his wrist and her fingers gently touched his palm, such a light touch, but so moving.

"What's that for?" He asked.

"Just paying you back for all the crap you're making _me_ feel!" She hissed.

"Well, we might as well go all the way with this misery then!" Elliot said and kissed her soundly before running to grab his wallet and storm out. "Good night!"

* * *

After arriving at Joe's for their latest date, Juliette was just about to take off her coat when she realized with surprise that he was putting his on.

"Are we going somewhere?" She questioned. "Not to get coffee...that's what we always do when we go out!" She paused. "Unless it's on the way to some other thing." She hadn't forgotten her niece's words to her about it possibly being bad news that Joe wouldn't let her know more about himself. She was going to ask him about it before this all was over.

"Well, we can get coffee on the way, but I want to take you somewhere very special," Joe said, taking her hand and pulling her out of the door. "I think...I think I'm finally ready to show you a bit of my life before the community."

"You still remember it?" Juliette questioned, relief flooding through her, and warmth because he wanted to show her something so personal. "Did you..you told me about your family. Are we going to meet them? I wonder if anyone from your family would like me?"

"Maybe not Hannah, my younger daughter," Josh replied. "At least not right away. It always takes her some time to get comfortable with new people. But she'll warm up to you. I'm telling you this because...she might be there when we get to where we're going and I want you to be prepared."

"You want me to meet the first person I've ever met in your family ever?" Juliette asked in amazement. "Wow, I'm really touched!" She paused and blushed a little. "I was beginning to think that you were ashamed to be with me out in public and that this wasn't gonna be anything real."

"It is," Joe nodded. "It just...now is finally the right time. Sorry you have to put your coat back on just after you took it off."

"Oh, that's fine," Juliette told him. "Doesn't bother me! Not when you're making an effort to let me into your life. I'm really...really touched by that."

Joe smiled as he took her hand and led her out to the car. "It was always gonna happen," he said. "Thank you for being so patient with me. That means so much."

"You're welcome," Juliette smiled. "It was no trouble really."

* * *

The way he'd talked about his daughter, Juliette expected her to come running out of the yellow house pointing a gun at them and shrieking as they pulled into the driveway. But to her surprise, when they parked, no one came running out to acknowledge their presence, either happily or unhappily. In fact, as they got out of the car and looked around, the place seemed abandoned. The grass certainly hadn't been cut for quite some time and papers were piled up at the edge of the drive.

"Doesn't look like there's anyone here," Juliette remarked. "Do you think we should go inside? Could you still even get in if you wanted to?"

"Oh, yeah," Joe nodded and pulled a key out from under the mat. "I never gave the deed to anyone else. Hannah and her boyfriend must've gotten tired of waiting for me to come back and got their own place, which I really don't blame them for."

When they got in the house, Juliette immediately began sneezing from the dust everywhere.

"Sorry about that," Joe apologized. "Gonna take a while to get this place cleaned up."

"No it won't," Juliette remarked when she could finally talk. She cleaned all the dust away with a wave of her hand. "There. Now we can actually walk through this place."

As they did, they discovered it was as empty as they had initially thought, but aside from being dusty, the place seemed in good shape, nothing broken or missing, but rather covered in white oilcloths.

"It's like the house was waiting for you to come back," Juliette got out.

"And I'm glad for it," Joe told her. "I was all right with my other room, but I missed this." He paused. "You want to help me get the cloths off the chairs?"

"Sure," She nodded. "You take one end and I'll take the other."

They managed to get the cloth off one of the bigger chairs, but then as they were pulling it away, Juliette got twisted in the fabric and fell backward, landing in the chair, with the same thing happening to Joe a few seconds later so that he landed on top of her.

They were nose to nose, their breaths picking up as they got enveloped by each other's dark eyes before he grabbed her and twisted his body so that she was on top and he was the one sitting in the recliner. He popped out the foot rest and leaned the chair back, hoping it would be able to support both their weights.

She loomed over him with a grin and pulled off his shirt and unzipped his pants before she undressed with a zap. They began kissing furiously, holding one another as close to their bodies as they could.

Then she nibbled on his neck and rode him hard as he played with her hair and inhaled her scent.

"Damn," he whispered. "Why do you have to smell so good?"

"Well, anything's better than how musky this house is," she whispered back.

"I don't mean that," he panted. "You know what I mean, woman!" He then gave her a spank and she let out a yell, then flipped over in the chair so that he could be on top.

"Now it's my turn, huh?" He grinned, sticking his finger inside her and then pulling it out and rubbing her. "How generous of you."

"Well, I try," she got out before grabbing his face and kissing him deeply as he thrust into her.

They only stopped when an orgasm of hers became too much for the poor old recliner and it collapsed.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry!" He cried, trying his best to hold onto her head so she wouldn't hit it. "I hope you're not hurt!"

She smiled and kissed his palm, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "I don't know why you're apologizing to me. It was _my_ orgasm that broke the chair!"

"Yes, but I gave it to you," Joe smiled sheepishly. They got up and dressed, with Juliette remarking, "If you're _really_ attached to this chair, I can fix it."

"No, I'm not," Joe shook his head. "I've actually been looking for an excuse to throw it out for ages. Lime and orange together are not the best thing."

"Well, all right then," Juliette shrugged. "Any other furniture you want to test the stability of by having sex on it? And where's the bathroom, do you remember? And when I get back we can pull the cloth off the other furniture."

"Yeah, just go down the hallway and take a right," Joe told her. "And the bedroom's not far from there, to answer your question."

Juliette grinned. "Sounds like you really want to make this place home again," she remarked, a catch in her throat. "Thank you so much for telling me."

"Yeah," he nodded, pulling her into his arms and kissing her hair. "Now I really do."


	79. You Won't Get The Best Of Me

"Oh, this will just be _marvelous!_ " Charlotte trilled as she and Mikael drove to Steve and Gwen's to start putting their evil plan to ruin their exes' lives into motion. "I can't _wait_ to see the look on my ex husband's face when he finds out that I've moved past him to a mere vampire!" She chuckled.

"I don't think it will bother him too much because as I recall, the woman he's with now he liked better than you in the first place," Mikael drawled.

Then Charlotte hit him between his legs and quickly had to grab the wheel of the car to keep it from crashing.

"Are you insane?" Mikael winced. "What did you do that for? I thought we agreed that for this car ride over, we were going to practice having a united front!"

"Well, you started it by bringing my sister into the conversation," Charlotte reminded him. "You want me to be nice to you, don't do that."

They sat in silence until they reached Steve's, and He was the one who opened the door in response to their knock.

"Hello, former husband!" Charlotte greeted him. "May we come in?"

"Is it truly necessary?" Steve asked. "You do remember that I know why you're here and if I may use a colorful expression, I think it's a load of crap!"

"Oh, language, Husband," Charlotte grinned. "Language. Remember who you are."

Steve's jaw then dropped in shock, giving Charlotte and Mikael just enough time to make their way inside and come face to face with Gwen.

"What do you two want?" She asked tiredly. "What more can you do?"

"Oh, I can do plenty, Sister," Charlotte told her. "But not at the moment. Now my friend and I just came for a chat."

"Friend?" Gwen choked on her spit. "I don't believe for one second that he's your friend!"

"He's not," Steve assured her, coming up behind her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "They're playing with us. Why they think they can do that and get away with it, I have no idea. But that's what they're doing."

"Haven't you done enough to us already?" Gwen fumed at Charlotte. "This stops now! Do you understand?"

"If you're angry, have a word with your son," Charlotte ignored her sister and turned her attention to Steve. "Lucifer and that woman you set him up with had their twins and no one has even called to tell me the names of my new grandchildren, much less invite me to come visit, so I'm bored!"

"Well, gee, I wonder why they wouldn't want a peach like you around their children," Gwen mused sarcastically. "Since you're such a good influence and all."

"Hey, I get along with plenty of my grandchildren!" Charlotte cried. "It's just the boring and stupid ones that don't like me."

"Angelica is really a lot more than you give her credit for," Steve said. "But I suppose it's no loss that you don't want anything to do with her. She's probably better off."

"Well, don't just stand there!" Charlotte yelled at Mikael. "Be threatening! Make them scared! You promised we'd have the power here!"

"Oh, good luck with that!" Steve chuckled.

"Why is it that I always find the most incompetent people to team up with?" Mikael grumbled and glared at Charlotte. "Don't worry. I can take the wheel. At least you're pretty."

"I hope you're not thinking of doing anything _now_ ," Gwen told him. "We can stop it if you try." She paused and smirked. "I mean, we'll always know so we can stop whatever you're thinking of doing at any time."

"And that's all we have to say on the subject," Steve finished firmly as his phone rang.

"Who is it?" Charlotte asked.

"It's...it's Samael," Steve got out, his face full of shock. "I wonder why in the world he would be calling me?" He knew, but situations like this still surprised him anyway.

"If it's to tell you about our grandchildren, would you tell me what he says?" Charlotte requested. "I'd at least like to know their names."

"Well, all right," he sighed. "Since you won't let this go until I do." He then excused himself and answered.

"I was just about to hang up," Lucifer remarked. "Did you decide not to answer when you saw it was me who was calling?"

"No, of course not," Steve assured him. "It's just that your mother has stopped by again and I wanted to be away from her before you and I spoke. Can I tell her what the children's names are? She's very insistent."

"Well, all right," Lucifer agreed. "It's not like she's coming near them in person anyway."

"So," Steve continued, a grin on his lips. "The new children are named after us. That was certainly a surprise."

"It was not intentional, I assure you," Lucifer told him. "There was confusion at the hospital and then Eleanor wouldn't let me have the birth certificate changed cause she said Steven and Charlotte are perfectly lovely names. I haven't gotten to name any of our children myself since Vincent and Valerie and it's very irritating."

"Well, you know that with your habits, other children will come along eventually. Maybe Eleanor will agree to name the next one after you!" Steve told him.

"Is that a hint?" Lucifer asked. "What are you saying?"

"I'm not telling you anything definite," Steve backpedaled. "I'm just trying to cheer you up a little." He paused. "Anything else you want to tell me or should we just end this conversation and I go talk to your mother?"

"Good luck with Mum," Lucifer told him and hung up.

"So what's the news?" Charlotte got out with a wide grin.

"The children, it seems were accidentally named after us," Steve said. "Or our vessels, anyway. Samael wanted to change it, but Eleanor wouldn't let him."

"How dare she!" Charlotte cried. "She should give our son the deference he deserves! What is _wrong_ with that woman?"

"I thought you said you liked having children named after us?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I suppose so," Charlotte huffed. "It's another way to carry on my legacy, I suppose."

"Yes, well, now that we've had this nice little family moment, let me show you the door," Gwen said, opening it with her magic. "I'm sure you have other lives to ruin since there's not a thing you can do with ours anymore." She paused. "And if you really are thinking of being a couple, it couldn't be more fitting! The two of you deserve each other!"

Charlotte and Mikael left then. "That went well," she remarked dryly.

"How it went was all your fault," Mikael replied. "To hell with united fronts! Next time, _I'm_ in charge and _you_ don't say a word. Do I make myself clear?"

"If it'll shut you up, yes!" Charlotte snapped. "Though I doubt you'll have better luck, take the lead next time. It'll be fun to watch you fail just as badly twice!"

* * *

"Hey," Ellie said as she strode into Lucifer's office in very high heels and a snug black dress. "Because I look hot, you wanna go to dinner with me?"

Lucifer then turned around his his desk chair and his eyes widened. "Oh, yes," he grinned and licked his lips. "Who wouldn't want to be seen with someone as lovely as you?"

Ellie grinned and gave him a spank on the bottom. "All right," she whispered against his ear. "I'll go tell Amy we're going out and see if she'll check in on the twins while we're gone and see you in the car."

Of course Amy was more than happy to agree. But just as she approached Stevie's room after Lucifer and Ellie were gone, the door opened and a naked young man strode out, bumping into her. He was definitely _not_ the same baby she usually cuddled with every day.

"Oh, hi!" He grinned. "I was just looking for you. Go ahead and look what happened to me. Just look. Sweep your eyes over me. Don't miss an inch."

"I don't think I have to do that," Amy said and pushed him back to his room, getting a peek at his very tight butt in spite of trying not to because it made her feel like a pervert. "It's very obvious what happened to you. You grew up."

"I _did,_ " he smiled, reaching out and putting a hand on her face before moving a strand of hair out of her eyes. "And I have some ideas about what we could do now."

"I do too, and those include getting you some clothes," Amy said. "It won't be hard to zap some up."

"Oh, can you give me a bath first?" Steve grinned. "Scrub all my nooks and crannies? I know it's not the first time you've done it, right? But it'll be much more enjoyable now."

"That's one opinion," Amy said firmly. "Now get in your room!" She accidentally spanked him, and he chuckled. "Oh, I like it rough! Keep doing that!"

Amy ignored him and zapped him up some clothes before excusing herself to go call Jeff to see about Miss Charlotte. It was a perfectly reasonable thing.

As she punched in Jeff's number, she hoped he would answer and get here soon, or that Lucifer and Ellie would be back sooner. Then she could leave and have a very big and well-deserved drink.

* * *

"I'm sorry to get you drawn into this," Amy said as she ushered Jeff into the house not long after. "But something happened to Stevie, which means it probably also happened to Charlotte, and would you check? I know you and she have kind of a rapport."

"What should I be looking for?" Jeff asked worriedly, afraid for the poor little baby. "Is she ill?"

"No, she's just...she's just big I think," Amy said.

Jeff didn't understand until he saw Stevie, who gave him a salute and wink and then stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans, which were paired with a black turtleneck. "Hey there, _Padre_. If you're looking for my sister, she's in the bath, you lucky dog, you!"

Jeff looked heavenward and heaved big sigh. "Lord give me strength," he muttered and went to the bathroom next to Charlotte's room and knocked. "Charlotte, are you in there?"

He heard a splash and some silence before the door opened to reveal a soap-covered Charlotte who was not otherwise covered up. "Well, what a pleasant surprise!" She grinned and pulled him into the room. "What can I do for you? Would you like me to help you undress so you can join me?"

As she grinned, feelings arose in Jeff that made him pull a bottle of holy water out of his pocket and splash her in the face with it.

"Oh, damn!" Charlotte sputtered, her good humor gone for a moment. "And just what was that?"

"Holy water," Jeff said sheepishly.

" _Excuse me_?" Charlotte scoffed. "You do realize that won't do any good."

"Well, yes, but...instinct took over," Jeff flushed. "Sorry."

"I suppose I can forgive you," Charlotte got out. "If you're so keen on doing something with me and holy water, you can baptize me in the bath. Then everyone will be happy."

"I told you!" Jeff cried, sensing he was losing control of the situation. "That was just a reflex! I'm sorry!"

"Oh, all right, you don't have to get in the tub," Charlotte conceded, her dark eyes sparkling as she climbed back in and handed him the soapy washcloth she'd pulled from the sudsy water. "But...could you at least get the soap off my shoulders? Please?"

Shutting his eyes and muttering a prayer, Jeff knelt next to the tub and gently ran the wash cloth over her face and neck until all the soap was gone.

"See?" Charlotte asked. "That wasn't so bad, was it? Now, all you have to do is hand me a towel and you can leave."

He practically threw it at her before sprinting from the room and slamming the door behind him.

"He's a little skittish," Charlotte told herself as she wrapped the towel around her body. "But that's okay. I can deal with it."

* * *

"Are you okay?" a boxer-shorts only-clad Lucifer asked Ellie as he helped her off with her dinner dress before bed time. "I know you were looking forward to the twins being small for a longer period of time and it's been ruined for you yet again."

"Oh, it's fine," Ellie shrugged off his concern. "It seems the _idea_ of babies was more appealing to me than the actual reality." She paused and helped him peel the dress off after he got it unbuttoned and unzipped. "As it stands now, we have two more children we can talk to and no more diapers to deal with and that is perfectly fine with me. They were small just long enough." She then put on a big t-shirt and got in bed. "Are we having fun or are you too tired?"

"Oh, of course I'm not tired," Lucifer remarked. "When have I _ever_ been too tired? But the next time our fun leads to offspring, _I'm_ naming it or them. You've named the last four and now it's my turn. That's the last favor you owe me and I'm cashing it in." He meant the seven favors he'd owed her for him allowing her to name Angelica Angelica Eve even though he'd been against it. It had been a serious deal and the price had been steep: seven times he got to make the sole decision about something they would normally decide together. Needless to say, he often made different choices than she would have and sometimes that was a challenge for her to deal with.

"So I'm _finally_ done with that crap?" Ellie asked, her voice full of relief as he pulled her close against him and began nibbling on her ears and neck while his hand slipped under her long t-shirt. "Thank Steve!"

* * *

"Damn!" Lisa muttered as she tried to park her car in its usual spot at Lucifer's, but found it taken by a sporty blue convertible. "Who the hell is in my spot?" Cursing, she got out and began looking through a purse that was in the front seat with pictures of Lee and a brunette. His latest fling had taken her spot. Wasn't that fitting in every possible way?

She parked in the first available spot she could find and stomped inside, wishing now that she had taken Lucifer up on his offer to have the spell that would just allow her to zap herself inside. She strode right up to Lee, who had another woman's coat hanging over his arm, and said in a very measured voice, "I know we're separated now so I don't give a damn about who you spend your time with, but could you at least tell them to keep their damn car out of my parking space? That's the fifth time this week! And the fifth woman! This time it's a brunette!" She cleared her throat and realized she was getting carried away. "Just keep them out of my space, all right?" She warned him and then strode off, hearing him snicker behind her turned back.

Then she turned. "And just what is so funny? I thought we were gonna be mature about this!"

"Now now, Lisa dear," he told her. "Just because I've had dates and you haven't and you were stupid enough to dump the only man who would have you, it doesn't mean you have to be bitter and take it out on me."

"Oh, go fuck yourself!" She cried and gave him a slap. But he was still grinning.

"Don't have to," he said. "How many times do I have to say that I've got someone to do it for me?" He reached out and squeezed her butt and then winced. "Someone whose backside is much firmer than yours, I have to say."

This made the control Lisa was just barely holding onto break, and she turned around slapping him so hard that his head snapped to one side. "How dare you!" She cried. "Look, I don't care who you bring into your bed. I really don't. I know I hurt you, and you're entitled to feel hurt. But you are _not_ entitled to disrupt my life at every turn for your own sick and twisted amusement. Do you understand? Can't we just agree that I'll leave you alone and you leave me alone?"

"That's only gonna happen if you move out," Lee said firmly, arms crossed. "Which might not be a bad idea." He was then joined by the brunette whose purse she'd looked at. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have much more important things to attend to."

Lisa then looked the woman in the eye. "I hope you didn't plan to be here long," she said. "I've been where you're going and...it's a short ride, let me tell you. The experience is really overrated." Then she said, "I'll leave you two alone now. Bye!"

"Who was that?" The woman asked Lee. "And did she mean it? I thought you said you had stamina!"

"I do," Lee promised. "Nothing I've ever told you is false advertising." He unzipped to give her a look at the goods and get Lisa's words out of her head. "Am I wrong?"

"No," The woman shook her head and spoke in a breathy voice, letting Lee pull her to his bedroom after he zipped up. "You can't always trust reviews. Sometimes you gotta see things for yourself."

"Oh, yes," Lee nodded, shutting the bedroom door behind them and kissing the woman deeply while his hands cupped and squeezed her boobs. "You most certainly do."


	80. More Than One Second Chance

"Oh, hey, can I have one of those?" Katherine asked as Selina plodded into her daughter Laura's salon with a plate of brownies, cookies, and mini doughnuts on it. She reached and then Selina slapped her hand away.

"No!" She snapped. "These are mine and no touching! If you want some, make your own!" She saw an empty salon chair and sat down in it, continuing to eat, her dress quickly becoming covered in powdered sugar and crumbs.

"That's real attractive," Katherine tried not to gag at the sight of Selina's unladylike eating habits. "Did you just come to use the chairs as a place to eat, or...?"

"No, she's here for an appointment," Laura said. "I took the call so it's not surprising you didn't see it. And I'm gonna try and talk her out of dyeing her hair blonde again."

"I don't see what's so bad about that!" Selina cried, putting the plate down on the table next to her chair for a moment so she could adjust herself in her seat before taking the plate up again.

"You always go blonde when you're about to become crazy," Laura explained. "I know you and Dad are having some kind of difficulties now, even if he didn't go into specifics when he talked to me, and going bad is not a good way to deal with it."

"While you're talking her out of stuff, tell her to lay off the sugar too," Katherine smirked, and then looked Selina in the eye. "If that's what you looked like, putting on weight and everything, no wonder Elijah sold his house and left after a night with you."

"I can't believe he just left like that!" Laura cried.

"Yeah, that asshole!" Selina muttered, bits of doughnut flying out of her mouth while Katherine rolled her eyes. "He always messes with me like that."

"I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt you," Laura tried to calm her. "But if you're so mad, maybe him being gone is a good thing. Maybe you should just take a break from men for a bit."

Selina's eyes widened and she hopped up, running over to Katherine and throwing up all over her. "Whoops!" She got out as Katherine glared. "I better stop eating all that sugar. It seems to be making me sick!"

"I hate you," Katherine groaned as Laura handed her a towel to clean up and then let her go and change. "I really do."

"I wish I could say 'I'm sorry," Selina called after. "But I'm not!"

"Are you done?" Laura asked her mother. "Do you need to run to the bathroom one more time before we start your cut?"

"Yeah, that might be good idea," Selina nodded and held her stomach. "It's better now but the nausea's been coming in waves and you never know..." And with that, she ran for the stairs as fast as her feet could carry her.

Not long after, Katherine reappeared. "Where'd your mom go? Is she gone and not coming back?"

"No, she just had to go and be sick again," Laura shrugged as Katherine grabbed a doughnut now that they were unguarded. "Poor, sick mom."

"Let's think about this," Katherine sighed. "Your parents were together and now your mom is sick. I think your dad got her pregnant. I'm surprised she hasn't figured that out yet." A wicked grin spread over her face. "You wanna tell her, or should I?"

"No," Laura shook her head and spoke firmly. "She'll figure it out herself in good time. You will say nothing and neither will I."

"Sorry about that," Selina apologized. "Hopefully I can stay out of the bathroom long enough for us to get this appointment done. I've just...like I said, I've been ill for a little while now. I think...I bet it's stress and grief over Dorian just like my eating habits."

"You don't say," Katherine grinned.

"Could be," Laura added, breathing a sigh of relief that Katherine had kept quiet, her own big blue eyes, so much like her mother's, averted from Selina's face. "Who knows?"

* * *

A short while later, after Laura had cut off Selina's split ends, her phone rang. Selina excused herself and ran to a private place when she saw who it was.

"Elijah!" She cried. "Is that you? I'm glad you called, but please tell me that you have a good explanation for going off to London without so much as a 'Goodbye' to me. Is it because I'm fat? Was the sex bad? Be honest! And what's going on on your end? I'm only hearing every third word you say!"

But all that greeted her was more static before Elijah's voice came to her ear. He was standing on the porch of the ranch and had his phone held over his head, hoping that would be better as he shouted into it. "In London...bad connection...sorry...you're adorable..."

But that's not what Selina heard thanks to the static. "Did you just tell me I'm fuckable?" She asked. "Can't hear you...too much static."

"I'm sorry..." Elijah got out. He spoke again after moving to the porch, which didn't help much. "Darling...didn't mean to...love you..adorable..."

"Well, thank you," Selina told him. "I mean, you obviously haven't seen me cause I don't feel or look very adorable but it's nice to hear some complimentary words." She paused. "I miss you but I hope you're having a nice life in London. I'm having a good time too. No need to worry about me."

"I've been busy...new house..." Came Elijah's voice.

New house?" Selina thought. What does he need a new house for? It would be just like him ditch her and start over with an entirely new family!

"Well, it's fine you have a new house!" She said. "Cause I'm gonna sell the penthouse and get myself a place with a nice big kitchen! Maybe out in the country!"

"No..." Came Elijah's voice. "Don't..."

"Why not?" Selina wanted to know. "You want me to stay where I am so I can be at your beck and call whenever you want me? That's not gonna work, mister. I got a life to be getting on with, and if you don't want to be included, which you obviously don't, that's not my problem! And might I add, you suck and goodbye!"

"No...don't..." Elijah said. "not...for you...start over..."

"I don't have to listen to this crap anymore!" Selina yelled in exasperation, turning her phone off before he'd even had a chance to say 'Goodbye'. And she'd been so happy to hear from him at first. Boy had she been wrong.

Meanwhile, Elijah was staring at his phone in shock. Why had she been so mad? He'd broken his own rule and told her a little about the surprise house. He thought that would make her happy. Oh, well...maybe she was still grieving, if not the damn reception. He'd give her a little more time and then tell her again. He couldn't wait until she saw the giant kitchen with the big windows. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist that, and just maybe she'd forgive him for whatever it was she'd thought he'd done. He just had to get her out here first.

* * *

The next day, he was out watching the workmen build his house. He thought it would be a lot simpler than it was because these were warlock workmen with magic, but it actually involved hammering and things and whenever he tried to help in order to speed things along, no one would let him.

It was while Elijah waited that a young blonde woman in jeans, boots, and a plaid top came walking over from next door. "Hello," she said.

"Hello," He greeted her.

"What are you planning to do with this place? It used to be a ranch, you know. The owner was very good with horses. But they had to all be sold when he passed away." She boosted herself onto the fence and peered at him. "I was gonna buy this place myself but I didn't have the money. Could I, perhaps, stable some horses here?"

"I could find room along with the ones I'm buying," Elijah agreed. "If you told me what you wanted to stable them for."

"Horse therapy," She said. "I run a business that helps children with disabilities get exercise and confidence through riding, but the last stable I was at kicked me out."

"Well, that's a terrible thing to do to someone with such a worthy cause," Elijah told her. "I got this place for my...my eventual fiancee, who's very into riding as well. And nature and fresh air and all that. I'm Elijah, by the way." He held out his hand.

"Sophia," she smiled. "And thank you for what you're doing. It's so kind. Is there anything I can do for you in return?"

"Just don't be a stranger," Elijah smiled. Cause for a human, she seemed very nice and it probably wouldn't hurt Selina to get some new friends, since things with Amy were in awkward territory now.

The young woman turned to go, but stopped as one of the workmen approached her. "Hey," he said. "You look like you know how to use a hammer. Wanna help us?"

"Sure," she nodded. "I have nothing else to do."

"That's not fair!" Elijah said as they made their way toward the house. "I've been offering to help them for hours and they won't let me! They say it's because I don't know my way around any sort of tool, but really, how hard can it be?"

"Harder than you'd think, actually," Sophia said. "Why don't you watch me and then if you want, you could come over to my house and I'll give you some more one on one tutoring."

"Sure," Elijah shrugged. "Why not?"

* * *

So he watched her and the men hammer and sand and paint and then, finally, they went over to her house, where she made him a coffee and then brought out a little pink tool box.

"Where'd you learn how to do all that?" Elijah questioned as she emptied it out onto the table.

"My parents wanted to make sure all us kids knew at least the basics," she said. "I know how to do a little bit of everything. Now, to start, this is a hammer," she held it up.

"We can skip this part," he said. "I have eyes. I can see."

"We'll skip nothing," she replied firmly. "Not if you want to do this right."

"Well, fine," Elijah sighed. "That's a hammer. When do I get to start hitting stuff with it?"

"Patience," she said and went to look for nails. "You will in due time."

"All right," Elijah sighed. Then he picked up the hammer and, not used to the weight, nearly dropped it before throwing it back into the box. Better not to mess with that. Maybe she was right.

"So what are you building the house for, if you don't mind my asking?" Sophia questioned when she came back. "Did you say you had a fiancee?"

"An almost-fiancee," Elijah nodded. "I haven't actually proposed to her yet, but...this is the second time we're gonna be married and I thought the house would be a good way for us to start fresh. Before, she moved into my place and our styles didn't exactly mesh in the right way."

"You're marrying the same woman more than once?" Sophia asked. "If you really love her, I'll say that's admirable but Einstein _did_ define insanity as doing the same thing more than once and expecting different results each time. Or something like that." She grinned.

"Maybe it _is_ crazy," Elijah shrugged. "But I'm very sure I'm doing the right thing."

"Oh, well I can't wait to meet her," Sophia smiled.

"I bet she'll like you too," Elijah said.

* * *

"Well, what brings you here?" Lucifer asked, surprised as usual to find his father on his front doorstep. "Did Eleanor invite you over?"

"No, I actually came to talk to you," Steve told him. "It's urgent, something you want to hear. About Steven."

"What about him?" Lucifer asked. "Is there something wrong with him? Is he going to become a horrible murderer? Whatever it is, I'm sure you're thinking about it too much."

"It's nothing like that," Steve replied and heaved a big sigh. "It's just that he's a reincarnated soul."

"Is that supposed to worry me?" Lucifer asked. "It's nothing new. You and I both know that it sometimes takes a person more than one go around to get it right, no matter what some might say. You don't get it perfect every time." He paused. "So what's the big deal?"

"It..." Steve winced. "It's about who Steven was. You remember in Egypt, your friend Ahmes?"

"Oh, yes," Lucifer grinned. "The stamina that man had. So many wives, too. How he ever had the energy to sneak away and party with me...stuns me to this day..."

"What stuns _me_ is how, despite his lifestyle, he truly only had eyes for one woman...though he might never admit it," Steve got out. "What was her name? The redhead?"

"Arthansias," Lucifer smiled. "A good woman and a beautiful one, though their relationship wasn't exactly looked on kindly by his family. One of the few to ever turn me down. She was a good woman but she wasn't a fool. She was smart enough to see that Ahmes loved her above all the others."

"And when he lost her...that was such a shame," Steve sighed.

"Yes," Lucifer agreed. "He might as well have officially become a monk after that. And then just threw himself off a cliff because he couldn't live without her anymore." He paused. "You know, he was in Hell for a bit, the River of Sorrows, you know. But then he disappeared and I don't know what happened. Maybe he's in a better place! I have to hope that for my friend!"

"Well, he is!" Steve grinned. "And so is Arthansias. It's good that you remember them because they go by Amy and Steven Jr. now, so when they both remember all this, they'll need you to help them sort it out."

"What?" Lucifer asked. "You mean they don't know now?"

"And I don't want you to tell them," Steve implored. "Keep it to yourself."

"Oh, all right, I won't say anything," Lucifer promised. "And what is it about Ahmes being Stevie? Are you telling me that one of the biggest Casanovas, even more prolific than Casanova himself, is my son now?" He scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't believe this! You've got to be kidding me!"

"I'm not," Steve told him, his eyes down cast so he wasn't looking at Lucifer. "It surprises me that this seems to bother you. I thought you would be all right with it."

"Well, I'm not _mad_ about it," Lucifer assured him. "But finding out that one of the biggest ladies' men in history has been reincarnated as your son and is fated to put the moves on your therapist, well...pardon me, Father, but it's a lot to get your head around."

* * *

Amy had borrowed a book from Ellie's library and had just settled down to read it when she felt fingers in her hair.

"You have such pretty red hair," said Stevie's voice. "I've never seen anything like it..."

She let out a shriek and quickly stood up. "Why did you come in here?" She demanded. "You can't just stroll in wherever you want!"

"Well, I'm sorry!" Stevie apologized. "I just...I wanted to see what you were up to, but I can see you're too busy for me so I'll go..." He gave her the puppy dog eyes and the lip quiver and turned to walk out.

"I know perfectly well that you're messing with me!" Amy said. "But you don't have to go. You can come back."

Stevie smiled and turned. "Well, thank you," he said and sat himself down. "Mind if we make it like old times and I snuggle up to you while you read me a bedtime story? You did do that, right?"

"Yes," Amy nodded. "But I don't think you'll like this book."

"It doesn't matter as long as I'm with you," Stevie told her.

"Well, all right," Amy sighed. "We'll see how long you last."

She got through five pages of _The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire_ before Stevie got bored. "Can we stop reading and make out now?" He groaned. "This is terrible! You wanna keep me interested, pick a book about something interesting like Egypt!"

"You're interested in Egypt?" Amy questioned with a smile, relieved they seemed to be on the road to talking about something with substance rather than just kissing and touching. "Why is that? Tell me more, this is wonderful!"

"I just...I just find it interesting," Stevie shrugged. "I mean, there's more to it than that, but if I share _that,_ you're gonna think I'm nuts!"

"Give it a shot," Amy encouraged. "Think about all the things I've heard from this family. One more crazy thing will not throw me."

"Okay, fine," Stevie nodded. "But you have to promise not to laugh okay?"

Amy agreed and shifted position, then he got up and went to get a book on Egyptian history. He came back with it, set it down, and flipped through the pages to a section, read it out loud, and said to Amy, "I...when I read this, it all feels very familiar. Like I really experienced it."

"Wait a minute," Amy said. "Excuse me, what? You can't have experienced that! That happened thousands of years ago!"

"I know it's irrational, okay?" Stevie said. "And I just...it's a feeling and a weird one, and I _know_ that, but I can't shrug it off!"

"Maybe you should," Amy suggested. "For your own well-being. We can start having sessions! I can help you, and you should take me up on it. Because having hobbies is good, but being unwilling to separate fantasy from reality is not."

Stevie scoffed. "I knew I shouldn't have told you this and we should have made out instead! Now you just think I'm crazy! If it wasn't for the fact that we're gonna be in close contact, I wouldn't agree to stupid therapy at all!"

"Want to start tomorrow?" Amy asked. "I really think we should nip this in the bud as soon as possible."

"Yeah, okay," Stevie nodded and stormed out, giving Amy just enough time to make another mental note about how well he fit in his jeans before she made a panicked call to her sister, Margot.

"What's wrong with you?" Her sister asked. "Please tell me you're calling to say you want me to take you out now that you and Elijah have broken up! You're so pretty, there's no use hiding it!"

"Yes, please!" Amy said. "Better that than letting myself keep having the hots for a teenager. Even if he's into me too, it's still weird! That and I'm about to give him therapy so it's highly unethical for us to be involved"

"I don't see a problem," Margot told her. "You worry too much. When you got it, flaunt it, sister!"

"No," Amy said firmly. "I'm coming to your house. I'll be there in ten minutes and then you and I are going out. Please?"

"Fine," Margot sighed. "You're wrecking a good thing, but fine. See you soon."


	81. Strange Bedfellows

"You know, I'm glad you decided to give some classes a shot," Amy told Lisa as she walked to the door of Lucifer's house with books in hand. "Especially potions. I'm good at those." She paused. "And not that it matters, but...how are you doing about Lee? Is part of why you're doing this to avoid him?"

"Well, if it is, why not?" Lisa asked. "Not that I care about all the women he has coming in and out of here because I brought on myself sort of. I should have just been honest with him about the abortion, but...there you go."

"It's okay if you still like him, you know," Amy said. "Break ups can be hard and feelings can be harder."

Lisa was about to dispute this when Lee walked past with another girl on his arm, a redhead this time. "Do you see that?" She asked her mother. "Not that I care" she repeated, even though it was obvious she cared deeply, "but do you think that means something? He usually tries to avoid redheads. If he misses me, that's...good, right?"

"I don't know," Amy shrugged. "Do you want it to be good? Do you want to get back together with him?"

"Eventually yes," Lisa nodded. "I know I messed up and I want to make it right because part of me does love him but I don't think there's gonna be a chance for that any time soon since he's so intent on making an ass of himself and not letting me get a word in edgewise that might bring on reconciliation."

"Well, you never know," Amy remarked. "Things could change at any time. You might get your chance tomorrow and not even realize it."

"You think?" Lisa asked.

"Could be," Amy shrugged. "Now, did you say Jonathan would be teaching you? You'll get really good if he is."

"Yeah, it's gonna be weird seeing as how he's your ex-fiance and my brother in law but I think I can deal with it. And I can count on him to be professional, right?" Lisa questioned

"Oh, yeah," Amy assured her. "He got in trouble with the Council once for stealing magic and I think it freaked him out so much that he's kept his nose clean ever since. Tell him 'Hi' for me. And good luck!"

"Thanks!" Lisa smiled. "Have a good day!" She gave her mother a wave and closed the door behind her, then Amy watched out the window until she disappeared and whipped around at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

"Here you are," Charlotte the younger remarked, her dark eyes bright. "Stevie's looking for you."

"I just bet he is," she sighed. "I hope it's because he wants to start therapy and not because of...other things." She got close to the girl. "Has your brother talked at all to you about this fantasy of his of living in ancient Egypt?"

"No, but _that's_ all you're worried about?" Charlotte questioned, raising an eyebrow. "He's having a harmless fantasy and _that's_ how you're handling it? Wow, that's friendly."

"I don't think it's just a fantasy!" Amy told her, her voice getting louder than she meant it to. "I think he's truly serious about it all. You're his sister, he'll listen to you. You have to help me with this."

Charlotte gave her a look. "When it makes him dangerous, I will help you," she said firmly. "Until then, just ease up on him, would you? I think that would be the best thing for now."

Amy sighed as the young woman strode away from her, then went to go find Stevie and make the best out of a very awkward situation.

* * *

Though she'd been trying to keep her feelings for Lee away, her talk with her mother had suddenly made them hit Lisa harder, and when she wasn't distracted by lessons, it was all she could think about. That and the fact that she hadn't exactly been with anyone since she and Lee had split up, which was a real bummer. She wanted to remedy that. And not with some stranger either.

She knew that it would be weird, but as horny as Lee was, he probably wouldn't be too upset about them just being together physically without any emotion attached to it. He'd been with enough redheads lately that she just knew he was thinking about her. So the sight of her in his bed probably wouldn't upset him, especially if she were naked. This could work and everyone would get what they wanted in the end.

* * *

So her plan was just to confront him when she got home from class and give him the proposal. It seemed simple enough as she thought about it driving home, but when she actually came face to face with him in the hallway, looking dapper with yet another redhead on his arm, she found it a lot harder to be direct.

"Yes?" He asked. "Do you want something?"

"Oh, um...I..." She kept her eye on the woman. "No, I just...I thought I did, but it's not important."

"Well, thank you for wasting my time then," Lee snapped. "We have to get to my room before the bubbly loses its bubbles!"

"Shit," she cursed herself as he walked away, a little tipsy already. "If I can't take him on face to face when he's probably not even sober, what hope is there for me? I am a giant coward!"

But then a sneaky, evil thought came to her mind. Something that was naughty and something her mother would probably yell at her for. But it was the best she could do for now.

She waited a few hours, giving Lee and his date time to get their bottles of champagne downed, and then headed to his room, arriving just as his date was.

"Is the champagne gone?" She asked

"Yeah," the young woman grouched. "It was really good stuff and he drank most of it. I hardly got any, that lush! I have half a mind not to go to bed with him tonight!"

"How about I go instead?" Lisa offered. "You can have your revenge and I..."

"Who are you?" The young woman asked. "Old girlfriend?"

"Wife," Lisa sighed. "Lee and I are fighting right now."

"Well, good luck," his date told her. "I hope you get what you want."

She started to walk away, putting a coat on over her negligee.

"Wait a minute," Lisa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "This probably won't matter if he's as drunk as you say, but...would you switch clothes with me? If he realizes that it's not you, things could be difficult."

"Okay," his date replied. "Whatever."

They quickly switched clothes and Lisa sneaked back into the dark room, immediately finding herself embraced by Lee, who reeked of the whiskey he must have had earlier before the champagne.

"What took you so long?" He asked, planting slobbery kisses on her cheeks and neck. "I've been waiting for _hours!"_ Then he paused and held her at arms' length as Lisa held her breath. "You know, you smell like my wife," he got out. "Did you steal some of her perfume? Great idea, that's so hot!"

"Yeah," Lisa got out in a breathy but not particularly distinctive voice. "You go on about her so much that I thought it would be fun for you to pretend to be with her."

"Yeah," Lee chuckled. "That would be so hot!" He picked her up and tried to carry her to the bed but dropped her twice before she decided to just walk there. Then he got in bed himself and she undressed him because he was clearly too drunk to handle his own buttons and zippers. Then, when he was naked and she was too, she began to kiss his neck, but to her surprise, he stopped her.

"Can I say something first?" He slurred.

"Sure," Lisa said. "Whatever you want."

"I miss her so much!" He got out and actually began to cry a little. "She's so pretty and so nice and I loved her until she lied to me about getting an abortion when she knows that having a family with her is all I want! Why would she hurt me so badly? And now she doesn't even care! I bring home all these women cause I want her to get mad and do something, but it never happens! I want her to say, 'Get out of the way, other women! He's mine!' but she never does..."

"Well, I'm sure it's just because she didn't know you wanted her to do that," Lisa whispered. "I'm sure that if she knew that's what you wanted, she'd do it right away!"

"I hope so, but..." he put a finger to his lips. "Don't tell her, okay? It's a secret! I have to keep being mad at her so she doesn't think she got away with something!"

"She won't hear it from me," Lisa assured him. Then he got her underneath him and began sucking gently on her nipples, moving his finger in and out of her before capturing her lips with his.

It had been long enough that she didn't even mind that he was drunk and smelled like it. "Good," she whispered. "Come inside me, please."

He swirled his tongue around her belly button and kissed her inner thighs before burying himself inside her over and over as she reached up and tousled his hair.

"Yes!" She cried, her hips bucking forward. "Yes, yes, yes!"

This went on until it all finally became too much for Lee and he passed out snoring on the pillow beside her.

Luckily he'd detached himself beforehand so she was able to kiss his hair, get out of bed, and dressed, leaving the negligee behind and wearing one of his black button up shirts instead, before sneaking back to her mother's room. She would have liked to stay a bit longer but she didn't want to know what he'd be like once he'd sobered up in the morning and realized that it wasn't his one night stand that he'd slept with, especially considering how badly he wanted to keep his true feelings a secret from her.

It was an act of mercy, she told herself as she tucked herself into her own bed. He'd find out eventually, but for now, he would keep his secrets and she would keep hers.

* * *

"Hello, Samuel," Lucifer greeted as Sammy strode into his office at work. "I was surprised to see you on my schedule today. I thought Eleanor had written something wrong."

"Nope, it's correct," Sammy replied. "I just...I have a question for you: I know Hell is by and large a family affair for you and you'll probably think I'm crazy cause I'm not officially family, just the guy who's the father of your daughter's baby, but...you think I could work there too? Angie says that whenever she goes down to torture people, it really helps with the darkness and all and I think I need that."

"You know, that is very understandable," Lucifer told him. "And truth be told, I was going to suggest something like that to you, but I thought that with your songwriting career going so well, you wouldn't want that interrupted."

"Well, I'm not asking for a whole new career," Sammy replied. "Just a little something that will help take the dark edge off, you know? Preferably that involves beating the crap out of people, if you can make that work."

"Yes," Lucifer nodded. "I think I can." He then pulled a pad of paper and a pencil out of his desk drawer. "Any other requirements besides wanting to beat people up?"

"No," Sammy shook his head. "I'm not particularly complicated."

"All right," Lucifer nodded. "I'll have a talk with Eleanor since she's more hands on in Hell than I am now, and we'll see where you can best put all that enthusiasm and darkness to good use."

"Thank you," Sammy told him. "Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it."

"One last thing," Lucifer got out. "Not that you need Angelica's permission but is this something you want to keep quiet around her, or..."

"No, I'm gonna tell her," Sammy assured him. "I'm sure it's not gonna bother her. And if she has problems, we'll talk about them."

"Good," Lucifer nodded. "Wonderful. You may go."

"Thanks again," Sammy grinned and shut the door behind him.

* * *

It seemed like forever before it was finally time for Angie to get home, and Sammy got very antsy in the meantime, something Angelica definitely noticed when she swept in and took her turn with Shane.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked. "Are you okay? Did Shane give you lots of trouble and you just need to get out and do grown up things? That's okay, you can go. I'm here now. I got him."

"Oh, no, no, that's fine," Sammy assured her. "I mean, he was a little ornery cause I think he's starting to teethe, but...I have something I need to talk to you about. Something I did that I hope you're gonna be okay with."

"What is it?" Angie asked. "What did you do?"

"I went and saw your dad today and asked him if he would get me a job in Hell," Sammy got out. "You know, just to take the edge off and make the dark impulses go away, at least for a little while." He paused. "You're not mad, are you?"

"Heck no," Angie shook her head. "I think it's a great idea! I was gonna ask him that myself, you know. But I didn't want you to think I was picking on you or something."

"Wow, you wanted me to do this, your dad wanted me to do this... and here I thought I was having some great original idea," Sammy mused with a smirk. "I guess I wasn't as original as I thought and I'm glad."

Angie smiled back and after going to wash her hands, put a couple of fingers in Shane's mouth to check if Sammy was correct. "Yes," she nodded. "It feels like he's teething all right. But I've prepared for this!"

She pulled out a plastic bacon shaped toy, disinfected it, and used magic to make it cold before handing to Shane, who promptly stuck it in his mouth.

"Did you seriously buy a dog toy to give to our son?" Sammy asked her. "Wow!"

"It's not a dog toy," Angie corrected and handed the package to him. "See, it's for teething babies! But the idea came from dog toys though. I thought that if he had this, he would make less of a fuss at breakfast, and it seems to be working!"

"That's very true," Sammy remarked. "He's much calmer than he has been all day!" He said, "I am going to go meet Dad and Grandpa and we're gonna hunt tonight. You two have a nice evening!"

"We will," Angie told him, kissing the top of Shane's head. "You too!"

"I sure will," Sammy remarked. "See you two later!"

* * *

When Juliette came the next time to talk to Lily-Eleanor about her and Joe's date to the hardware store to get paint for the inside of the house, followed by a trip to get ice cream, she found that her niece's room was empty. Assuming that she would be back soon, Juliette sat on her bed and waited, until there came a knock at the door.

"I'm in here, Lily-Eleanor!" She called. "Don't be alarmed!"

The door opened to reveal not her tall, redheaded niece, but a brunette with light blue eyes who was a little shorter. "Who are you?" She asked. "I've never seen you here before."

"Oh, I'm Juliette," she said, hopping off the bed and shaking the other woman's hand. "I'm Ellie's sister."

"Seriously?" The other woman asked. "Cause I'm Hannah and I'm _also_ Ellie's sister." She smiled. "Isn't that funny? We should go have coffee and talk about this!"

"Yeah, I know!" Juliette agreed and followed Hannah to the kitchen. "I'll especially be interested to know who your dad is because I don't think we have the same one. Cause I assume Sarah is your mom?"

"Yep," Hannah nodded. "She is!"

While Juliette made the coffee, Hannah sat at the table, picking out threads from the sleeve of her shirt. "Why don't you start?" She said. "I...this is gonna sound nuts but...I don't remember a lot about my dad. He's...he died awhile ago. Well, actually I don't know if he's dead. But he disappeared anyway, and no one has heard from him or seen him since."

"Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Juliette blushed. "Here I am with a dad I can pretty much see whenever I want and you...you went through such a loss. If I'd known, I wouldn't have asked..."

"It's okay," Hannah assured her. "It's not your fault." She took a long swig of coffee as Juliette lapsed into silence and sipped from her own cup before she spoke again. "I have a picture of my dad," she said. "I keep it in my wallet." She pulled out the tiny picture of her father and pushed it toward Juliette, who, when she saw who was in the photo, spit coffee everywhere and started having a coughing fit. It was Joe! There he was, staring her right in the face!

"Oh, my gosh!" Hannah cried. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Juliette got out. "Something just went down the wrong way. So...this is your father?"

"Yes," Hannah nodded. "It is. His name is Josh. Isn't he handsome?"

"I...I wouldn't know," Juliette replied. "Why do you think I would think that?" She then got up. "Excuse me."

As Hannah looked on, confused, Juliette ran in the direction of Lily-Eleanor's room, and thankfully, Lily-Eleanor was there this time, looking up in shock as her friend came running in.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "You look like you saw a ghost!"

"I think...I think I can't breathe!" Juliette gasped. "And that I'm gonna be sick!" She ran into Lily-Eleanor's bathroom just in time and when she was done, came out and collapsed on the bed,

"What's going on?" Lily-Eleanor asked, rising gracefully from her desk chair. "Is this about that Joe guy? Something was fishy about him, I knew it! What's he done to you?"

"Well, you were right about him not being who he is says he is," Juliette got out. "He told me he had a daughter named Hannah, who is downstairs right now. She showed me her father's picture and told me his name was Josh! It's the same guy! And that's not the worst part! Her mom is _my_ mom! I slept with a guy my mom slept with!" She winced, her whole body shaking. "I just...I need to bury myself under my covers and never come out! This is _so_ bad!"

As Lily-Eleanor looked down at her aunt who had obviously been scarred for life, she considered herself very fortunate that stuff like this would never happen to her. She then went and borrowed Nyx from Valerie.

"Look, a puppy!" She said. "That should cheer you up!"

"No, thank you," Juliette groaned, lying like a log on Lily-Eleanor's bed. "I know you just want to help, but it's not working. I'd rather just be left alone with my shame."

"Fine, I'll play with her by myself then," Lily-Eleanor replied, even though she was basically being kicked out of her own room. "No sense in both of us being miserable."


	82. Pushing A Little Harder

"Elliot come here, I want you to meet someone," Jim told him one day just as he was coming to do his stint at the rehab center. Pleased to have a few more minutes before he had to deal with Ashley, Elliot came willingly and found himself face to face with a blonde young woman who had a much cheerier disposition than his charge.  
"This is Sophia," Jim introduced her. "Part of rehabilitation for our clients involves getting out into nature and enjoying fresh air and interacting with horses and she manages a little ranch where that happens. She just had to move buildings and the new one is about to open."  
"Oh, how exciting!" Elliot exclaimed. "So you're completely ready for business, then?"  
"Yes," Sophia smiled. "We just need a bakery that can make us cake for the opening day celebrations. Either of you know a good place?"  
"My aunt's got a bakery," Elliot told her. "Southern Comfort Sweets. I could go see her and ask."  
"Oh, yeah!" Jim nodded. "I remember when your mom and I were in class sometimes we'd go get treats from her sister. I don't know why I didn't think of that."  
"You think she'll do it?" Sophia asked Elliot. "If she would, I would be so grateful."  
"I'm sure it won't be a problem," Elliot told her. "I'll go ask after I'm finished today, when I have my post workday snack." He paused. "Does it matter what sort of cake? She's gonna want specifics."  
"Well, I have a bit of cash to spend so, if she wants to do cakes, maybe two chocolate and two vanilla?" Sophia guessed. "Or five hundred cupcakes with half of each flavor? I don't have the exact numbers and I'll get them to you when I know them but that's a start, I think."  
"All right," Elliot nodded and tried not to heave the biggest sigh in the world. "I guess I should go start with Ashley now."  
"I know it might be hard, but try and be gentle with her today," Jim suggested. "It seems like things haven't been going so well at home, and it's affecting her too."  
"I will," Elliot nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." Trying to keep his tone light and his disposition cheery as he approached her, even though it had no effect on her and she continued to glower at him from her chair, not helping at all as he got her out of her chair.  
"You know, this would go a lot quicker if you helped me," he told her. "But you're lucky I'm naturally strong and can handle it."  
"Well, then why do you need me to help you then, if you can get me in place perfectly well by yourself?" Ashley questioned.  
"I just...it's considerate to help people the best you can," Elliot replied. "I know that you're not a total invalid, no matter how much you pretend you are." He paused and helped her get steady, her hands clutching the bars. "Now, let's see how many steps you can take today. And while you're at it, I have some good news! You get to go to a ranch soon and gets some fresh air. You'll be riding horses too! Who wouldn't want that?"  
"I wouldn't," Ashley scoffed and blew a raspberry. "I hate horses and I hate nature and I don't want to go to the stupid ranch!"  
Her eyes then widened as Elliot got right in her face. "You're gonna go, all right," he said firmly. "Even if I have to pick you up, put you over my shoulder, and carry you there myself, you're gonna go to this ranch and get better, cause I'm not gonna let you live like this. I'm not. I'm gonna do what I have to in order to get you better if it kills me!"

* * *

Ashley seemed to be having a lot of trouble that day and was still working when Elliot was getting ready to leave for the afternoon. Continuing his plan of showing her kindness even when she was being a pain in the butt, he headed back to the rehabilitation room to tell her goodbye when he stopped a few feet away cause he heard yelling.  
"I thought you said you'd be healed by now!" Roared an angry, gruff male voice. "How am I supposed to face everyone when you're still crippled from your accident? All they'll be able to do is talk about how stupid you were and how do you think that makes me look? Get up now, get up!"  
He heard a shriek of pain and a sob as Ashley yelled, "Daddy, kicking doesn't help! I can get up and walk, see?"  
Elliot didn't hesitate any longer. He ran into the room and felt his whole body fill with rage as a sobbing Ashley struggled to get up from the floor, her head covered in blood, presumably from when her father had kicked her. "Stop hurting her!" He hissed, bearing his teeth as he got down on his knees and shielded her from the older man. "If I were you, I would leave now."  
The man chuckled, flashing wolf-like teeth. "And what will you do if I don't?"  
"I'm more concerned about saving your daughter than hurting you," Elliot spat. "And I'm not gonna let you hurt her any more!"  
"All right," The man whispered. "You want to protect this worthless disgrace, that's your business. I'm more than happy to be rid of her."  
He then strode out and Elliot held a sobbing Ashley close, helping her clean the blood off herself. "He's gone," he whispered. "It's gonna be okay, he's gone now. You're safe."  
He thought she would order him to let go of her, but she didn't. Instead, she relaxed in his embrace, and once she had stopped crying, she began shaking her head and muttering, "I'm nothing, I'm nothing," over and over again.  
"You're not nothing!" Elliot said. "You're just...having a hard time recovering from your accident. Lots of people in your position do, and it's nothing to be ashamed of."  
"I could never make that man happy," Ashley remarked. "So I just did whatever the hell I wanted, especially if I knew it would make him mad. Not my brightest idea."  
"Well, you know you can make new choices whenever you want," Elliot reminded her. "I saw you take a few steps and you...I'm really impressed by that."  
"You are?" Ashley asked. "I don't know why. Two steps is nothing!"  
"It's not nothing!" Elliot refuted. "It's damn impressive considering where you started. How about you show me again?"  
"Okay," Ashley agreed. "But what if I fall?"  
"Then I'll catch you," Elliot assured her. "Don't worry about that."  
She gave him a small smile and took a few steps. Then a few more. Then, when she finally fell forward, he grabbed her. Their eyes locked, and she moved her head forward a few inches, kissing him soundly and taking her time with it, her fingers in his hair as his hands went up and down her back.  
Then, abruptly, she pulled away. "You need to go home now," she said. "I've done what you wanted. I took my steps. Now leave me alone."  
"All right, all right," Elliot nodded, backing away. He'd noticed her body go tense as he'd touched her and sensed the change in mood was coming. "I'll see you tomorrow. And you really should see someone about your head."

* * *

The bell over the shop door rang as Elliot strode into Southern Comfort Sweets. "Aunt Selina, are you here?"  
"Elliot!" She grinned and popped up from behind the counter where she'd been arranging the display. "How nice to see you! What can I get you? Your usual chocolate egg cream or do you feel adventurous today?"  
"One of these days I will be but not now," Elliot smiled. "Except today I want a large one."  
"Well, that's adventurous in its own way," Selina grinned and made him up his drink. "Is your sister okay? She was in here the other day and had like, three sundaes and a strawberry milkshake."  
"Hate to break it to you, but I'm as clueless as you are," Elliot shrugged. "Everyone's tried to get answers out of her and she won't say a thing."  
"Poor girl," Selina sighed. "Whatever's wrong, I hope she'll be okay!"  
Elliot was halfway done with his drink before he remembered what he'd actually come in for. "I have a job for you if you're willing to accept it," he said. "The place where I'm volunteering opened up a new horse ranch to help disabled children with their mobility and they need someone to make cakes for opening day. You interested? It's a few weeks away so you have time. And I hear it's a beautiful place, kind of like your father's."  
"I'll do it!" Selina grinned. "You're so sweet to think of me." She didn't add out loud that this task was just the thing to take her mind off Elijah, so it couldn't have come at a better time. "Do you have specifics? Just cakes?  
"Well, whether it's cake or cupcakes can be up to you," Elliot replied. "But Sophia wants them split evenly between chocolate and vanilla. Five cakes or five hundred cupcakes was her initial guess but she'll probably have a more concrete total tomorrow, which I'll be sure to pass on to you."  
"Great!" Selina smiled. "Just perfect!"  
Elliot scribbled down the ranch's address (which he'd gotten during a phone call from Sophia that had occurred just as he'd gotten in his car), and handed it to Selina. "I'll be there on the day to help you unload and stuff. I think it'll be fun."  
"Oh, yeah," Selina nodded. "It's gonna be nice to be around horses again. I mean, I know my dad has them, but I don't stop by to visit him as much as I should. I'll make a note about that." She then smiled as she noticed Elliot's glass was empty. "Would you like another one?" She asked.  
"All right," he smiled back. "One more probably wouldn't hurt. Thank you."  
"You're welcome," Selina returned, taking his used glass, and then taking out a clean one and making him another chocolate egg cream.

* * *

"Am I late?"  
Amy looked up from her desk and nearly choked on her spit. Stevie was at the door in a suit, with what looked like two dozen daisies in his hands.  
"No, you're not late," she told him when she could finally make herself get up. "But you realize this is a therapy session, not a date, right? You don't need to wear a suit or bring me flowers."  
"Dad wears suits during therapy so won't can't I?" Stevie countered. "And I brought you these flowers because you're helping me and I appreciate it. That's not wrong, is it?"  
Amy couldn't find a way to dispute either of these things and said, "No, and they just happened to be my favorite flowers. How did you know?"  
"Dad told me," Steve shrugged. "They'll definitely brighten up this room." He sat down on her sofa. "Want me to tell you about this dream I had last night? Is that how we start?"  
"Does it involve Egypt?" Amy questioned.  
"No, but you and I were both naked, and..." Stevie began.  
"That's not what this is supposed to be about!" Amy cried, blushing deeply. She'd had some sexy dreams about him too, but there was no way she'd be telling him about them.  
"You know, you're pretty when you blush," Stevie smiled and patted the spot next to him on the sofa. "Come and sit by me. It'll be easier for us to talk that way."  
Amy groaned. She really shouldn't be encouraging this behavior, but at the same time, was it really as bad as she made it out to be? She wasn't hurting anyone, so...  
She sat down on the sofa next to him. "All right, but this is only because it'll be easier for us to talk," she informed him. Then she sniffed the air. "Is that new cologne? I like it."  
Stevie smiled and ran a hand up her thigh, and to his surprise, she didn't slap it away. "I hoped you'd like it. I thought about borrowing some from Dad but then I figured I'd do my own thing."  
"Always a good choice," Amy nodded. "Now...now we're gonna talk about this Egypt thing you have going on. You still think you came from there, right?"  
"At one point, yeah," Stevie nodded. "But it's hard to explain it. I'm there and you're there and we're...we're in love!"  
"What?" Amy asked. "Now you're just making stuff up to satisfy what you're not getting when you're awake." She paused. "Just how do you know we're in love?"  
"Well, for starters," Stevie said as he took her face in his hands, "You let me do this," he kissed her soundly. "And this," he nibbled on her earlobe as her breath picked up. "And even..." He paused. "Mind you what I'm about to do is purely to demonstrate your question."  
"Please continue," Amy nodded. "After all, I did ask."  
"All right," Stevie nodded, easing her onto her back on the sofa. "You let me do this too..." He loomed over her for a few seconds before kissing her soundly again, his hands roaming over her body as he tugged her dress down and sucked gently on her exposed nipples.  
"Oh!" She cried. "Oh, yes!" She knew she should be feeling guilty, but, for some reason, it felt too good and she didn't really care. His touch seemed oddly familiar and comfortable, although to her knowledge, this was the first time he'd even put a hand on her.  
Pleased that he wasn't being stopped and Amy was enjoying herself, Stevie pushed his limits, but as his fingers slipped under the waistband of her panties and his lips kissed her neck, she stopped and pushed at him. "Stop!" She cried. "No, too much!"  
"Oh, sorry!" Stevie cried, instantly chastened as he stopped and helped her adjust her clothes. "I'm sorry!"  
"I...I think you need to go," Amy said as Stevie nodded and got off the couch. "Next time, we'll be talking on opposite sides of a desk."  
"Right," Stevie nodded and ran his fingers through his hair before making his way to the door. "All right."

* * *

"You have a lot of explaining to do!" Lee yelled after storming into the room where Lisa was studying. "I know you slept with me when I was drunk!"  
"You're just yelling me about this now?" Lisa asked, giving him a look. "If you're as mad as you say, wouldn't you have said something sooner since that happened weeks ago?"  
"Well, I was trying to remember it clearly so I didn't make a false accusation!" Lee shouted. "But now I'm positive it was you! And you stole my shirt! Give me back my shirt!"  
"Fine, take your shirt," Lisa grinned and threw it at him. "It smells like me now. I hope you like that."  
"What are you up to?" Lee questioned, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he got up in her face. "What are you playing at?"  
"What I wanna know," Lisa told him taking his hand and stroking the palm with her thumb, "Is what's up with you? Can you just admit you miss me? There's gotta be a reason why you had so many orgasms with me, even when you were drunk."  
He leaned closer and closer, but just as their lips touched, he pulled back.  
"I don't have to tell you anything," he hissed. "I'm leaving now!"  
"Fine, do that!" Lisa yelled. "I don't care! It's obvious who won here and it's not you!"  
"Shut up!" Lee yelled and slammed the door as Lisa burst into laughter.  
Then her stomach twisted and she reached in her mini fridge for a can of ginger ale to settle her stomach, and after drinking it, she went to talk to her mother, telling her something she'd avoided saying because she knew her mother probably wouldn't approve.  
She knocked and heard her mother say, "Go away! It's not time for your therapy, Stevie!"  
"No, Mom," she called. "It's Lisa! I have something that I need to tell you! Can I come in?"  
"Oh, sorry," Amy said and opened the door. "I thought you were Stevie!"  
"Well, that much is obvious," Lisa told her and sat down. "But I don't think I am!" She grinned.  
"I'm glad you showed up actually," Amy told her. "Are you feeling well?"  
"Not totally, but it'll be better eventually. After the first trimester is over," Lisa said.  
"The first what?" Amy asked in shock. "You...you're pregnant again? How...who...?"  
"Lee," Lisa said matter-of-factly. "Don't ask me how it happened. You'd rather not know the circumstances."  
"You're an adult," Amy assured her. "I don't need to know everything. But I hope this isn't some way to get Lee's love back. Cause if it is, it's not the way to go! Babies are a lot of work!"  
"I know that," Lisa told her. "But I don't have to worry about getting Lee's love back because I never lost it!" She grinned. "He might act like he doesn't care, but he does!"  
"And how do you know this?" Amy asked.  
"I just do," Lisa smiled. "He was drunk and he told me!"  
"Well, given how he's been behaving lately, I'm not surprised," Amy sighed. "Just be careful, all right? I don't want you to get even more hurt."  
"I _will_ be careful," Lisa swore and gave her mother a hug. "I promise. I know what I'm doing."


	83. Decisions, Decisions

"What a wonderful place," Selina remarked to herself as she drove up the long drive to the ranch. "This is exactly the sort of place I'd want to live in. It seems a lot homier than a penthouse." She was glad that it was finally time for her to see this place, and also see who was the owner or hosting, the mysterious E.M., whose initials she'd put on every cake, per a request by Sophia to do so during a second phone call.

She parked the car just as Elliot ran out to join her.

"Here, let me take those," he said as he remembered she had more than one box. "I know making all this was a lot of work!"

"Oh, it was no trouble," Selina assured him as he took half the boxes from her hands and waited until she had the others properly balanced in her arms

"You're welcome," Elliot smiled. "You can drop the box off in the kitchen, which is _huge._ You won't be able to miss it!"

He went on his way and she dug her purse out of the trunk before picking up the chocolate cake boxes and going inside to find the kitchen. As Elliot said, it wasn't hard to find, but not because of its size.

Instead, she found it by following the chatter coming from it, the sound of Elijah's voice. "How am I doing?" He asked. "Is it good?"

"Almost," said a female voice she didn't recognize. "A little harder. A little harder..." Then a bang. "There!" She cried. "Oh, Elijah, that was _wonderful!"_

That made Selina grit her teeth and stomp into the kitchen, dropping the cake boxes hard on the table while glaring at her ex-husband and the pretty blonde in the tight jeans who stood with her arm around his waist. She was so mad She didn't even notice that Elijah was holding a hammer.

"I _knew_ you were building this house for another woman!" She cried. "Well you and Elly Mae there have a nice life!" She then turned on her heel before Elijah could speak and stomped out.

"Who's that?" Sophia asked, dumbfounded.

"My ex," Elijah whispered as he prepared to run. "She's usually much nicer. She's a little rounder than usual so I think she's pregnant. Don't take anything she says seriously." He then sped away and Selina started when she saw that he was in front of her.

"Where are you running off to?" He asked. "If you want to talk to me, don't you think we need to be in the same space to do it?" He let her take a few more steps, then picked her up and carried her outside as she swore and hit him.

"Put me down, you monster!" She cried. "You big jerk, unhand me! Are you thinking of having two bites at the apple with both me and the blonde because that just is not going to fly!"

"Will you just be silent and listen?" Elijah cried in exasperation as he pushed her back against her car and looked her in the eye. "There is _nothing_ going on between me and Sophia."

Selina slapped him. "You know her name!"

"Of course I do, she's my neighbor!" Elijah shouted. "Am I not allowed to make friends now? I was hoping she could be the beginning of a new social circle for you, but you made a terrible first impression!"

"Oh, like you made a better one to me?" Selina pointed out.

"Fine, let's try again," he conceded, taking her gently in his arms, kissing her soundly, and grinning against her cheek as he heard his heartbeat, hers, and one more ringing in his ears.

"Oh, yes," Selina sighed and threw her arms around his neck as he changed course and nibbled and kissed hers. "Keep doing that, that feels _good_!"

Then he pulled away and grinned, his hand stroking her belly. "I noticed that your body's changed," he remarked slyly. "But don't worry. You still fill that dress out quite nicely!"

"Would you have some respect?" She snapped. "So I've gained a little weight, I know that! But it's been really stressful and depressing since Dorian died and you _know_ sugar is how I cope! It's not the worst I could do! Would rather I drank or murdered?"

"Oh, please calm down," he urged. "You know that there's no way you could be physically that would make me stop finding you attractive."

"Really?" Selina asked hopefully as he put a hand on her cheek and nodded with a smile. Then, as if to prove his point, he backed her up against the car and began making out with her again as his hands roamed up and down her body, spending a lot of time cupped around her now very ample breasts.

He kissed everywhere he could without removing her clothes, and to his surprise, she didn't stop him until he sneaked a hand under her skirt.

"No," she got out at last. "No, I can't do this! I can't keep giving myself to a guy who just takes what he wants, leaves, and then only pays attention to me when he needs it again!" She pushed him away. "It's a bad habit and I've got to break it!"

"I'm a bad habit?" Elijah smiled. "I've never been a bad habit before!"

"You're the worst!" Selina hissed. "Even worse than your brother and you know how things were between him and me. We were like animals!"

"You and I are too," Elijah smiled as Selina moaned, her eyes straying downward to his crotch before she shook her head and started to go to her car. He took her hand, kissed it, and pulled her to himself one last time."I know you're not ready," he whispered. "And I understand that, I do. But when you are, you'll come back and I'll be waiting." He then hugged her tight and kissed her hair before stepping away and striding back to the house as she stared after him in shock and then finally got back in her car, locked the door, and screamed in frustration.

* * *

"I'm not doing this!" Ashley pouted, her arms crossed as she glared at Elliot from her chair while he urged her to let him get her on a horse. "I don't want to sit on a smelly old animal! Besides, even if I _did_ want to, how would I get on it? I guess if I can't get on it, I can't ride it. Well, too bad!" She tried to turn and wheel away but the uneven ground made it difficult, so Elliot had picked her up and gotten her on the horse in no time.

He was about to be smug, but then saw how tightly she was gripping the pommel and that she was as white as a sheet. When the horse snorted, she let out a terrible cry.

"It's okay!" Elliot cried, mounting gracefully and settling behind her because he was afraid she was gonna throw herself off in fright and be injured. "It's okay. It's not gonna hurt you. She's really gentle. Just pet her and you'll see."

"Don't talk to me like that," She said as he grabbed her wrist and helped her gently stroke the horse.

"See?" He told her. "It's gonna be okay."

She let out another cry when the horse began to move. "It's moving, oh my gosh! We're gonna die! I have a thousand pounds of wild animal under my ass and I am going to _die_!"

"No, you're not!" Elliot said, running his fingers through her hair with his free hand. "Just take a deep breath. Stay calm. I'm here. Everything is gonna be okay."

Despite his calm words, she was still very tense and white as a sheet as they made their way down a trail and into the valley.

"Is this safe?" Ashley questioned. "Should we really be going where no one knows where we are?"

"You'll be fine, I promise," Elliot swore. "Just please relax. Nothing bad will happen to you. Can't you trust me? Please?"

"You better not be lying to me!" Ashley huffed.

She didn't relax until they stopped by a lake so the horse could have a drink and he lifted her off it to go sit her by the water. Finally being on solid ground, she seemed much more at ease and immediately began to cry.

"Oh, honey, please," Elliot murmured and took her in his arms. "What's wrong, please tell me?"

"I feel like such an idiot!" She cried. "I had it all and then I ruined everything! How am I supposed to go on when I'm...when I can't move at all? Do you know how little I can do on my own? How...how demoralizing it is to not even be able to pee by myself and have to depend on other people for every little thing? I can't live like this! I don't know how much longer I can take it!"

"You can," Elliot said firmly. "You're strong, I know this. You have no idea what you can accomplish, but I know it's a lot. It won't be like this forever. This is just a bump in the road!"

"Easy for you to say," Ashley scoffed. "You're not the one in the wheelchair!"

"I know I don't exactly understand what you're going through and that it might sound disingenuous for me to say, but...I do...I do see why you are the way you are," Elliot told her. "I'm starting to get it. But you're tough and you don't take anyone's crap. You don't put up with people you don't like, so why put up with this?"

"Cause getting better is so much damn work!" Ashley replied, resting her head on his shoulder. "And it hurts too! Why can't there be some magic pill that will make me better immediately?"

It occurred to Elliot that he could just give her his blood and then it would be like nothing happened to her, but he couldn't do that. Not when this was such a good learning experience for her. "I know it hurts and I know it takes a while but the more you work at it, the better things will get. You do nothing, you'll get nowhere. Just think about where you want to be. You're too good to just let yourself be like this. You have too much to offer. Don't you think?" Elliot questioned, taking time to smell her hair since it was so close to his nose. Then he kept talking. "Let me repeat that you have so much to give and your life is not over. Can't you believe that? Just because it hasn't reached its potential so far doesn't mean it can't ever! But it takes work and patience and commitment. You can do it, and I believe in you. I hope you'll be able to believe in yourself someday."

"Maybe," she heaved a sigh. "I don't know, I'm not sure yet."

"Well, that's a start," he said. He then picked her up and put her back on the horse. "We should probably head back. I don't know how long we've been gone but we don't want them to come looking for us."

"Yeah," Ashley nodded, trying not to show how much his encouragement had truly moved her. "All right, let's go so I don't have to get on a horse again until tomorrow. I've had more than enough today."

* * *

" _Damn_ , no!" Juliette whispered as her phone began to ring with the special ring that meant Joe or whatever his name was was calling. "Stop calling, damn it! You would think that after I've ignored you for this long, you would have gotten the message!" She picked it up to go throw it in the toilet, but then changed her mind.

"What?" She barked, answering it at last. "What do you want?"

"Oh, thank god you answered," Joe said, sounding very relieved. "When you didn't answer all that time, I thought you were hurt, or dead, or...well, there's not anything worse than being dead, is there?"

"I was hoping you would take the hint when I didn't answer your calls so our whole relationship could end quietly," Juliette told him, trying hard to keep control in her voice, keep it hard, lacking feeling. But she was struggling to hold her tears back. "I...I've found someone else. Someone more normal. He met my parents and...that's that."

"Where's this coming from?" Joe asked. "What's the matter? Was it something I did?" He sounded very shocked and hurt.

More like some _one_ , Juliette thought to herself and then shuddered. "You want me to tell you about him? Cause I will."

"No, thanks," Joe said. "I think I've heard enough." He then ended the call with a click and even though she knew he was gone, Juliette hung on for some time, just listening to the silence.

Meanwhile, after he slammed his phone down on the table, Joe began to rage. He threw paint, punched walls, broke furniture...and when he'd finally had enough, he threw himself in the chair where he and Juliette had made love more than once and cried.

He wanted to leave again, go back to his room at the community. He'd come back here because he'd thought that he and Juliette would have a family together and he'd need the room. But now that she was gone, for whatever reason, he didn't need it, did he? No reason to stay here.

Joe began to walk around, looking in the few rooms that had already been finished, including one that had been made up as a nursery with the furniture already in it.

Juliette had asked if that was premature. But he'd shaken his head. "Maybe to some people," he said. "But not to me. I want to start a family as soon as possible. There's no such thing as 'too early' to me."

But to her, there obviously was. Maybe he'd pushed too hard and scared her away. He at least deserved to have that be said to his face. He deserved honesty from the woman who claimed to love him and he wouldn't rest until he got it.

* * *

Juliette had a secret, something that she couldn't tell anyone. Cause she knew that if she told, she'd have to hear lectures and that was the last thing she wanted.

But just when the weight of the secret was beginning to crush her, she got an idea. She got in her car and headed over to her sister's house to have a chat with her niece.

"Can you keep a secret?" She asked Valerie. "Cause I got a good one."

"Okay," Valerie nodded, intrigued. "What've you got?"

Juliette pulled up her baggy sweatshirt to expose a very obvious belly. "See?"

"You're fat?" Valerie questioned. "That's your big secret?"

"Not fat," Juliette shook her head. "Pregnant. And...and Josh is the father."

"What?" Valerie asked, eyes wide. "Oh, geez! What are you gonna do about it? Do your parents know?"

"Hell, no!" Juliette made a face. "It would be stupid for me to face my mother and tell her that I'm having a baby fathered by a man she was also married to and had kids with!"

"Okay, so she doesn't know," Valerie nodded. "Understandable. But what are you gonna do about it?"

"I was thinking of keeping it," Juliette said, locking eyes with her. "Or at least carrying it until it's born. Then I'd give it to you and Dexter. Would you like that?"

"Y...yeah," Valerie got out. "I think I would. Dexter and me having a baby!" She gave a happy squeal. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to both of us!" She paused. "But I have to give Dexter the whole experience. If I only do it half way, what fun would that be?"

"What do you mean?" Juliette asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna tell him I'm pregnant," Valerie grinned. "I know there's a spell that makes it easy to pretend."

"I don't know about this," Juliette said. "Remember what your dad thinks of lying..."

"This isn't a bad lie!" Valerie told her. "It's not hurting anyone! Come on, let's raid Mom's magic books and find that spell!"

* * *

Juliette was still very apprehensive, but followed along with her niece, looking for the book. However, it was Valerie alone who put the plan into action.

"Hey," she told Dexter that night as she snuggled up next to him in bed. "I have a surprise for you."

"You do?" He grinned and nuzzled her neck. "What sort of surprise?"

"Well, you know how the doctors said I couldn't have a baby? Well..." she pulled up her shirt to show the small bump. "They were wrong, see? You're gonna be a daddy! Sorry I waited to tell you but I didn't want to get your hopes up if something went wrong."

"Oh, my gosh!" Dexter cried, pulling her close as he started to cry. "That's so...that's so wonderful, Valerie! You have no idea how happy I am!"

"I do," she smiled, taking his face in her hands. "Because I am too."


	84. Secrets Under The Surface

After seeing Elijah at the ranch, Selina was torn. She felt so stupid because she _had_ to have known that the initials on the cakes stood for Elijah Mikaelson. It shouldn't have been a shock. Yet it had been. She had been caught off guard seeing him with another woman and it had been one of the most humiliating things she'd ever experienced. And _that_ was saying something. But she wouldn't be caught off guard again. She wouldn't. She would pick herself up, dust herself off, get a new dress, and show Mr. Elijah Mikaelson that no matter how much he strutted around in that plaid shirt and those tight jeans with that sexy mussed hair, she could be in control. And not only that, she could make _him_ beg for _her._

Abandoning her many closets, all full to the brim with dresses, she went out and bought a dark blue off the shoulder ball gown that was a bit tight because of her belly but she managed to get the housekeeper to zip her into it. Then she got in her car and drove to the ranch where she immediately parked, headed to the stables, and demanded a horse be saddled for her.

"Okay," the stable hand nodded. "Come to test them out, have you? Good!"

This was a strange remark, but Selina didn't want to spit all over her good fortune. Then she got the horse to go faster and faster, and just as she reached Elijah and the blonde, who were watching shocked from the porch, an animal ran across the road and frightened the horse, sending Selina flying into the mud.

Luckily, experience had taught her how to brace herself in situations such as these so she wasn't badly hurt, but she was still covered in mud and guck from her head to her toes, her new gown ruined, and that was, in its own way, worse than being hurt.

And to add insult to injury, she knew that Elijah and the blonde had seen her humiliation from the porch and would probably never forget it. She scoffed as her vision cleared. Oh, look, here they come.

"That was quite a spill," Elijah remarked as he, to her amazement, came to kneel in the mud beside her and held out his hand. "Let me help you up so we can see if you're all right."

"Yeah, it was quite spill you took," Sophia added. "Let me go start up the car and we can get you to the hospital."

They had been smirking and chuckling before, but there was no trace of mirth on their faces now. The humor of her being covered in mud had been replaced by a definite concern for her well-being.

"No, thank you," she said stiffly and swatted Elijah's hand away. "You've done enough, I think. I'm fine, I can get up myself!"

But she'd landed at an odd angle and between the angle and the heels she was wearing, she slipped during a second effort to get to her feet and fell in the mud again. "Damn it!" She hissed and then looked at Elijah, who was smirking again. "Don't you say a word," she told him, her Southern drawl creeping back into her voice as it often did when she was upset. "If you say as much as one word about this, I'll-"

"Oh, calm down!" Elijah shook his head, not scared at all. "I'm not going to hold this over your head, but I hope it's a good lesson to you about not doing foolish things out of jealousy."

"What? I'm _not_ jealous!" Selina cried. "I was just...trying to show off my horse riding skills!"

"I know you're naturally a much better equestrian than what we just saw," Elijah replied. "What the hell was that about, anyway?"

"That was not my fault!" Selina told him. "There was a damn animal in the road and it freaked the horse out. Couldn't have stopped it if I'd wanted to."

"If it had been going slower, you probably could have," Elijah remonstrated. "Why did you need to go that fast? You aren't competing in the Kentucky Derby, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Selina huffed. "Damn, my dress is ruined! And I just bought it too!" That made her begin to cry. "I got this new dress and it was so pretty and now it's all dirty and gross and ugly, just like me!"

"Oh, come now," Elijah sighed and picked her up as she sniffled into his shoulder. "You know for a fact that you aren't ugly at all. A little mud wouldn't change that. We'll send the dress to my special cleaner, let you have a nice warm bath, and then everything will be all right, you'll see."

"Should I make tea while you do that?" Sophia offered, "Or lemonade or something?"

"Yes," Elijah agreed. "Probably wouldn't hurt."

* * *

"What in the world do you think you were trying to do?" Elijah demanded as he carried the mud-covered Selina into the house and waited for her to finish her lemonade before picking her up again. "You really could have been hurt! We should get you to the doctor!" His gentle mood was gone now, the fear of what could have happened to her sinking in.

"Why would I need to see a doctor?" Selina asked. "I'm _fine_! Seriously, it's not the first time I ever fell off a horse! Now put me down so I can go take a bath or a shower!"

"Fine," Elijah sighed, wondering how dim and distracted she was not to know she was pregnant yet and that that fall could have really hurt the baby, or even made her miscarry. "Let me come to the bathroom with you so I can get your dress and send it out to be cleaned."

"Well, all right, but you're not getting in with me and putting your paws all over me, you pervert!" Selina cried.

"Okay, fine," Elijah put his hands up. "I'll be a perfect gentleman, I promise. Please go ahead of me and I'll tell you where the bathroom is." He couldn't shower with her, but at least he'd get to think about the shape of her ass under that dress when she wasn't looking and that was better than nothing.

"And shut your eyes while I'm undressing too!" Selina demanded when they reached the bathroom and he'd closed the door.

"Don't you need me to unzip you?" He asked with a smirk, running his fingertips lightly over the back of her neck as she swore.

"Damn it, this is a bad time to make a good point!" She growled. "Go ahead and do it then!"

She tried to ignore the tingles in her body as the warm fingers of his free hand ran over her neck and shoulders while his other hand unzipped her dress. Then he peeled it off her while kissing her shoulders and nibbling on her earlobe.

"You said you wouldn't do that!" She objected. "You told me you would just help me out of the dress and then get out!"

"You're right, I apologize," Elijah conceded. "I'm sorry. Step out of this and I'll get it sent out."

"And you'll leave too!" Selina added, trying to keep that in mind so she wouldn't ask him to stay and help her out of her underwear too. "Don't forget that you're leaving and I'm taking a shower by myself!" She was doing a terrible job of hiding how unstable he was making her. But at least he was pretending not to notice.

"Yes, yes, I'm leaving," Elijah assured her as he turned the faucet to the shower on and checked to make sure it wasn't too hot. "I just want to make sure you have everything you need before I go." He paused. "Soap, wash cloth, towel..." He looked up at her. "It seems you're all set. Goodbye." He paused. "Oh, shampoo, right." He got it out and put it next to the shower for her to take in with her.

"Goodbye!" Selina snapped. "Thanks for letting me use your shower!" It was shouted politeness, but politeness nonetheless. Her mother still would have approved.

He bade her farewell and left, then she took the shampoo bottle in hand. It was her favorite kind. Why would that already be here? She looked around more and found the matching conditioner under the sink. Something very strange was going on here. Or maybe not. Maybe his lady friend liked rose scented stuff too.

"Yes," Selina told herself as she headed under the shower spray and worked shampoo into her hair. "That has to be the explanation. There's no other one that's reasonable."

* * *

After she got out of the shower, she heaved a sigh of relief that Elijah seemed to be gone and that her underwear was set on the toilet tank. She put it on, wrapped a towel around herself, then made her way into what she assumed was Elijah's bedroom, stealing one of his shirts and a pair of boxers and going back to that big, marvelous kitchen, where, curious, she began pulling out drawers and opening cupboards, admiring all the cutlery and cookware that was shiny and new.

As she stood looking at herself in a spatula, she felt a pair of arms go around her and a voice in her ear. "How do you like this kitchen?" Elijah murmured. "You smell really good by the way."

"I do," Selina nodded. "I want it all, I want it _bad_! And thank you, I do smell nice don't I?"

Elijah turned her around, pulled her close, and smiled. "Well it's all yours, darling, everything, down to the tiniest teaspoon."

"Wait, _what_?" Selina looked at him in shock. "You...you better not be messing with me!"

"I'm not," he told her and then looked at one of the staff who was passing through. "Andre, this is the woman the kitchen is for, right?"

"Yes," Andre nodded and gave Selina a smile. "We've been wondering when you were coming to see it."

He then left and Selina smiled with tears in her eyes. "Okay," she said and kissed him. "You may kiss me and put your hands on my butt now."

"Good," Elijah smiled and moved his hands down. "It would be my pleasure." Then he whispered in her ear, "and yours too."

"Oh, I hope so," Selina told him as she threw her arms around his neck and mussed his hair before their lips met and they kissed each other over and over, sometimes lightly, sometimes deeply while they held each other as close as they could.

She nearly ripped his jeans right off when he bit her lip and she could feel him licking the blood off gently. But she kept her calm. Didn't want to seem too eager. I want him to come to _me_ , she reminded herself. That's what all this is about.

He paused for just a moment to move her and brace her against the fridge while his fingers sneaked under the boxers and her panties and he rubbed her as he bit her.

"Oh, damn," she moaned as it went from rubbing to him entering her with his finger over and over. "Oh, hot damn!"

The room was becoming very warm. If he wanted to do her right there on the kitchen floor, she wouldn't have said 'no'.

But then, the old doubts came back. Was it crazy? What were his intentions? Her shampoo was here. The kitchen was hers. Was this a trap? She wouldn't be his kept woman. The only way that man was getting his way with her again was if he was gonna marry her! Or at least indicate that he was in it for the long haul and she wasn't just some plaything or way for him to fulfill his knight in shining armor fantasy.

He began to unzip his jeans, and it was the sound of the zipper that snapped her out of it.

"No!" She cried. "We can't do this! Elijah, I could get pregnant and...I just...I don't know..."

This made him chuckle as he zipped back up.

"What?" Selina asked, confused. "Why are you laughing? This isn't funny! I thought you'd be pleased that I was being so responsible!"

"Oh, I am!" Elijah told her as he tried to call up a straight face. "Of course it's not funny, but how can you not..." He trailed off and shook his head. "You know what? Never mind."

"How can I not what?" Selina asked. "You want to say something to me, you say it!"

Then they heard someone clear their throat and saw Andre standing in the doorway. "I don't mean to interrupt," he said. "But Miss, I have your dress."

"Thank you!" Selina snapped as she stalked over. "Is there anyone other than Master of the Manor around that can help me back into it?"

"Oh, I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem to find someone," Andre replied and gave Elijah an apologetic look. "Come with me."

They left Elijah trying catch his breath and wonder just how much longer her ignorance about their upcoming baby would go on. Cause if she didn't figure it out soon, he was going to tell her. There was no way around that.

* * *

"What the hell is all this?" Charlotte called as she walked through the front door of Mikael's mansion and saw the trail of white rose petals. She followed them and led to the open bedroom door where she saw Mikael sitting on the bed in nothing but his pants, holding two glasses of champagne. "Is this some sort of joke?"

"Oh, believe me, I don't like it any more than you do," Mikael assured her. "But if this plan of ours is going to work, we're gonna have to make it believable." He held out one of the glasses to her. "Drink?"

"If you...if you're thinking of having your way with me, it'll take more than one glass!" Charlotte cried.

"Oh, don't worry," Mikael assured her. "I bought several bottles. Since we will need to consummate our relationship, I don't actually want to remember it either."

"Don't you make me laugh," Charlotte smirked. "You've never had it so good as me!"

"You've never had it so good as _me!_ " Mikael returned.

"I have," Charlotte said and came to run a finger down his bare chest. "But let's see you try to impress me. I doubt you'll be able to do it."

"I don't have to try," Mikael smirked and pulled her close against his body. "I don't have to try at all!"

They kissed for a little bit and finally he pushed her away. "Yes, I'm gonna need that drink after all."

"I'm gonna need several!" Charlotte shouted and went to go spit in the sink. She could still taste him and it was disgusting. "And I'm gonna have to have a shower after to scrub the smell of your tacky cologne off me!" She brushed her teeth several times and when her mouth was good and minty, she returned to the bedroom and they began immediately downing the champagne, bottle after bottle.

It turned out they were both very bellicose drunks, so every time they tried to kiss, all that would happen instead was scratching and biting, although there was a few seconds after their clothes had joined the wine bottles on the floor that they managed to kiss.

"I can't do this anymore!" Charlotte shouted and headed into the bathroom. "I thought I could, but I can't! And when people disappoint me, they die!"

"Well, it's nice to know we have something in common," Mikael told her.

"Oh, don't say that!" Charlotte huffed and began running some bath water. Then she got in when it was full and gave him a grin, crooking her finger. "I...actually, it's...I've changed my mind, at least for a little bit. Why don't you come join me in this nice warm water?"

She had an idea, and hopefully he was drunk enough that he'd fall for it.

He stumbled to the tub and practically fell in. He gave her a goofy, boozy grin, and when he tried to kiss her, she whacked his head against the tub wall, shoved him under the water, and held him there, hoping that she could drown him and that would be that. She would be able to take revenge against her sister and ex-husband on her own. That would be a lot less trouble.

But then, to her surprise, he suddenly broke the hold he had on her and rose out of the water like something out of a horror movie, grabbed her by the throat, bit her, and then shoved _her_ under the surface.

In her human form, she was sure that it would be the end of her, but no. Just as she felt herself begin to lose consciousness, he pulled her back up, looking her deep in the eyes as she coughed and sputtered and tried to catch her breath.

"Why did you let me live?" She asked, stunned. "You could have killed me and it would have all been much easier for you."

"Oh, I know," Mikael nodded and openly looked her over. "But such a waste, too." He kissed her again, and this time, she felt something.

Her hands ran over his soaking wet body as he shifted so that she was underneath him. When she realized this, she gave him a good slap.

"If you think that will deter me, you obviously don't know me very well," he said and then pushed into her over and over again as she held onto him, nibbled on his earlobe, and whispered flattering things in his ear that she knew she was gonna deny ever saying when they were both sober.


	85. From This Moment On

"Lisa!" Ellie exclaimed with a smile as the redhead came to the breakfast table. "We don't usually see you this time of day! Have a seat! The one next to Lee is empty!"

Lee looked up to protest Ellie's meddling in his business. and got a look at Lisa's tight t-shirt that emphasized her belly, spitting out his milk all over the table at the sight of it.

"You...your belly!" He got out. "What the hell?"

"You know, Lucifer, you're gonna be a grandfather again soon!" Lisa said, ignoring Lee completely.

"Well, isn't this exciting? You and Valerie at the same time." Lucifer then gave Lee a confused look. "Why don't you seem very excited?"

"Because it's not...I mean it is, but...I wasn't aware of it! I was drunk!" Lee cried.

Lucifer frowned. "Would you like to run that by me again, son?"

"Lisa slept with me when I was drunk!" Lee cried. "I mean, sure I want to have kids with her. The idea doesn't repulse me, but this...she was a sneaky, sneaky woman!"

"Well, I could always get rid of it and try again..." Lisa said, twirling her hair around her finger.

"No, no," Lee said quickly. "Don't you dare. You've done enough already!" He paused and then demanded, "What are your intentions with the child this time? Did you keep it long enough just to shock me before you go skipping down to the clinic to do away with it again? Because that's even crueler than what you did before!"

"Oh, no," Lisa assured him, sitting in the empty chair by his side, putting one hand on her belly while running the fingers of her other hand through his hair. "I'm finally ready to take the full journey with this one! The backaches, the morning sickness, the weird food cravings...it's been a wild ride! You better start thinking of names! Or do you have some in your head from last time? Cause last I checked we're still married so I hope you'll raise this baby with me."

Lee smirked. "I will if you carry it until it's born. I won't make a commitment if all you're going to do is abort it tomorrow!"

He was trying to intimidate her but she could hear and see the hurt under the smirk and the bravado. She sat down next to him and put a hand on his arm, locking eyes with him as she felt tears well up in her own eyes while she tried her hardest to keep them from falling down her cheeks.

"I haven't forgotten the other baby," she said in soft, firm voice. "I do wonder what it would have been like for this to be baby number two, and this baby is not going to replace the other one. But this time I'm ready to take it all on like I wasn't with the other. Our second baby is gonna have the kind of life the first one deserved but that I wasn't ready to provide, even with your help. I _swear."_

Lee couldn't think of exactly what to say, so he just kept looking at her in silence, making things somewhat uncomfortable for the others in the room until Ellie cleared her throat, breaking their eye contact as she asked, "Who wants pancakes?"

* * *

Everyone was so excited about Valerie's news, so Lucifer decided to throw a party at the Underground in order to give them all a chance to congratulate her and Dexter.

"Yeah," Valerie smiled and sipped her orange juice as she shook people's hands. "You're so kind! Dexter and I are very excited ourselves!"

"I can't _wait_ to be a father," Dexter smiled. "We don't know what sort of baby it is, but I want a little boy, even though I'm more experienced with little girls. So I guess in all honesty, it doesn't matter."

The atmosphere was happy, but Steve gestured at Lucifer and told him he had something he needed to know.

Lucifer started to call for Ellie so she could hear it too, but Steve shook his head. "She can't know what I'm about to tell you. Not until you and I figure out the most gentle way to break it to her because some of it might be a shock for our Eleanor."

"What?" Lucifer asked. "What is it, Dad?" He asked. "Valerie isn't pregnant is she? You wouldn't pull off a miracle like that. What's going on?"

"You're right, she's not pregnant," Steve confirmed. "She's using a magic spell to create an illusion of pregnancy."

"But I don't understand why she would do that!" Lucifer got out. "I know part of it is because she's so desperate to give Dexter a chance to be a father, but if the pregnancy is only an illusion, how will she bring forth an actual child when it's time?"

"The reason for that is exactly why I didn't want you to bring Eleanor with you to hear all this," Steve said. "Valerie _does_ have a child lined up; your sister in law, Juliette, is pregnant and not ready to care for the child so she made a deal with your daughter to take it."

"I don't see what's so wrong with that," Lucifer shrugged. "She could have told Dexter that and he would have understood because he'd still be a father to a baby."

"But she's intent on going all the way with this," Steve reminded him, his eyes troubled. "She feels she owes Dexter a child that's completely and totally his so he can savor the whole experience, and just taking on a child she got from someone else takes away from the illusion."

"And where's the part we have to be careful about telling Eleanor?" Lucifer pressed. "Nothing sounds risky so far."

"Well, here that is," Steve took a deep breath and got it out. "Josh is the father of Juliette's baby. He got sent back from Hell when the Dragon was defeated. He took up residence in a place called The Community where Juliette met up with him and they began an intimate relationship behind her parents' back. Then she got pregnant and she doesn't want them or Josh, who is now called Joe, to know about it, so that's why she made the deal with Valerie to take the child."

"Wait, Josh?" Lucifer's eyes widened, and his voice rose a little more then he meant it to. "Eleanor's step-father Josh has returned, had an affair with her sister, and now the product of that affair is going to be raised by my daughter?"

"That's Juliette and Valerie's plan," Steve nodded.

"But can I surmise from the look on your face that it won't work out like they hope?" Lucifer questioned.

"Oh, of course it won't!" Steve cried impatiently. "Josh will find out and not be shy about showing how unhappy he is. He's going to take his son back, which will _not_ lead to good things for Valerie and Dexter."

"I should think it wouldn't," Lucifer nodded. "I know part of me should be saying 'Poor Valerie' in all this because she means well and is only, in her own way, trying to do good for the man she loves, but...doesn't she listen to me at all? I've told her many times over the years that lying just leads to trouble!"

"Well, sometimes, no matter how much you as a parent tell a child something to stop trouble from happening, your words fall on deaf ears so they just have to find out the error of their ways for themselves, Samael," Steve sighed. "It's going to be a long, hard road for her. But she'll get through it as long as no one makes it worse for her. You won't, will you?"

"No," Lucifer sighed. "I'll try not to. I promise." He paused. "Dealing with Valerie in this scenario will be easy enough, but...but how will I tell Eleanor that her stepfather is back from the dead, so to speak, and having an affair with her sister? She'll be crushed!"

"Yes, but you've dealt with that before," Steve reminded him, putting a hand on his arm. "Be open with her. Tell her the truth. Then let her deal with it however she needs to and give her whatever help she asks for. You're very good with her when it comes to that. Why do you think I put the two of you together?"

"It wasn't just so she could pull me along the path of righteousness, was it?" Lucifer asked as he watched Ellie smile and laugh at something Amy said.

"No," Steve shook his head and looked the same way. "It certainly was not." He then gave Lucifer a nudge. "You might as well go tell her now and get it over with. There's no sense in waiting. Good luck, son."

"Will you...will you come with me?" Lucifer questioned.

"Oh, you don't need me to do that," Steve told him. "You know how to talk to Eleanor! You can do this!" He then paused. "But if you really feel you need me, I'm with you."

They both went to meet up with Ellie, and Steve stood behind Lucifer with his hand on his son's back as Ellie turned away from her mother and gave Lucifer a grin, her dark eyes bright as she moved a strand of hair out of her face. "I've been wondering when you'd come back," she said. "Did you and your father have a good talk?"

"We...we did," Lucifer got out and cleared his throat. "Very informative."

"Oh? Anything I can know about?" Ellie pressed. "Or is it none of my business? It's okay if it's not."

"Well..." Lucifer began. Steve could feel him hesitate so he gave him a nudge and whispered forcefully, " _Tell her!"_

"Tell me what?" Ellie wanted to know as she looked back and forth between them while Lucifer kept his eyes averted from her face. "Is everything okay?"

"Would you come with me to a place where we can speak in private, darling?" Lucifer insisted. "What I have to say should be said away from all this happy celebrating."

"Oh," Ellie sighed, her heart sinking a little as she followed Lucifer and Steve to a secluded alcove. "So...how bad is it?"

"Dad says Valerie's not really pregnant," Lucifer got out. "That she made a deal with your sister to take the child Juliette is carrying."

"But why go through all this charade then?" Ellie asked. "I'm sure Dexter would have no problem raising a baby that needs a good home."

"That's true, but you know how much Valerie feels she owes Dexter a complete fatherhood experience because that's what he desires," Lucifer reminded her. "And adopting a child is _not_ the whole experience."

"So she's faking a pregnancy to get Dexter to believe she's having a child that's his, even though it's not," Ellie sighed. "Well, this won't end well. I can tell that right now." Then the rest of it hit her. "My sister is pregnant? How the hell did that happen? I didn't even know she was seeing someone! Valerie could have mentioned it!"

"There's a reason she didn't," Lucifer replied. "Because Josh is the father of the baby. No one knows he's back. Not you, not your mother, and it's just...the whole thing is completely awkward, don't you think?"

"Wait, what?" Ellie's eyes widened. "Josh like my _stepfather_ Josh, who disappeared for ages? He's back now and having sex with my sister? Oh, Mom and Dad are gonna _love_ that when it finally comes out."

Lucifer turned to Steve. "You can go now, Father. I'm all right taking it from here."

"Good," Steve smiled. "You need anything else, I'll be at the bar."

Lucifer watched his father go and sit at a bar stool to chat with Noah and Cassidy until a sound got his attention. He turned to see Ellie grabbing her purse and heading away. "I gotta go get my coat," she said. "And can I have my keys?"

"Why?" Lucifer asked. "Eleanor, where are you going?"

"Well, I have to tell my parents about this whole Josh thing, don't I?" She asked. "It's tense enough with the three of them when there's no surprise at all, but add in the surprise elements and it's just gearing up to be a total nightmare! I have the power to stop that. Or at least soften the blow a little. So I'm going to!"

"No, no," He shook his head and lifted her easily, her feet dangling in the air as one of her shoes fell off. "You're staying right here and not telling your parents a thing!" He sat her back down on the sofa and put the red heel back on her bare foot. "Dad broke one of his own rules to tell me about Valerie but I don't want to push the envelope by letting the news about Josh get out. That could change things more than they're meant to be changed and we don't want that!"

Ellie narrowed her eyes at him. "Since when did you care so much about obeying your dad's rules?"

"Well, I'm making an exception in this case since this whole mess involves you indirectly and if you let something out too soon, you could get drawn into a painful and dangerous situation unnecessarily. Do you understand, Eleanor?"

"Fine, I understand," Ellie sighed and lay back on the sofa. "Would you get me a double vodka and cranberry, please?"

"Yes, I will," Lucifer nodded. Then he called for Angelica to come sit by her mother. "Watch her like a hawk while I get her drink," he requested. "We got news from your grandfather that she wants to blab prematurely and if I don't have someone watching her while I get her drink, she might do just that."

"You can trust me!" Ellie protested. "I'm not going anywhere."

"No, you're not," Angelica said firmly, giving her mother an intense stare as Lucifer strode off. "Cause I got my eyes on you and I'm not moving them for a minute!"

"Fine," Ellie sighed, fluffed the pillow under her head, and lay down again to wait. "Whatever."

* * *

"Oh, you're busy," Selina smiled as she made her way into the barn with a flashlight one night and saw Elijah brushing his horse. "I'll come back later. I just wanted a more thorough tour of this place!"

"No, no!" Elijah paused. "I'm almost done, I promise! One more horse left!" He gestured at the last horse and Selina grinned.

"Can I help?" Selina asked, handing the horse a bit of apple and then taking the brush as Elijah put his hands around her waist.

When the horse was brushed and fed, Elijah smiled. "Why don't you come up to the loft with me and have a look at the moon?"

"Okay," Selina nodded, preceding him up the later. They looked out the window and then Elijah lay her down on a navy blue blanket that was set over the straw before kissing her soundly. "It's nice and warm in here," he whispered, kissing her collarbone and pushing up her skirt to kiss her thighs. "Why don't you stay the night?"

"Okay," Selina gasped as he pulled her tiny panties down and began to taste her. "I'd...I'd like like very much!" Then she paused, her breath picking up. "Should we really be doing this in here? You know I can get sort of loud and I don't want to spook the horses."

"You have a point," Elijah replied, and with all the control they could muster, they righted their clothes and headed for the barn next to the stables that was mostly empty, went up to to the hayloft, and continued what they were doing after setting up a blanket just like they had before.

"Are you more comfortable now?" Elijah asked as he gave her a smile and pulled her panties down again, his tongue swirling around inside her and making her whimper.

"Yeah," Selina murmured, her voice rising as her hips bucked forward. "Yes!" She thought that once she'd climaxed, that would be it before he was buried inside her, but no. After that, her dress and panties were off and he kissed her soundly before saying, "Here you are, naked and ready for me to worship and explore. I'm going to enjoy this."

"Oh, dear," Selina whispered as he kissed her eyelashes and lips, cheeks and chin, and then moved down to nibble on her neck as his hands roamed over her body. "It all...I can't...I'm gonna die!"

"Oh, but what a way to go, am I right?" He panted. He'd hardly done anything, mostly things for her enjoyment more than his, but he was already hard, his cock straining against his zipper.

"No," he whispered. "Not yet, I'm not done." He sucked on each of her nipples gently before biting them slightly. She let out a squeak of pain, but he knew she wasn't hurt. It was the kind of pain she thrived on.

Then he entered her with his finger several times before removing his pants and pausing to say, "You get on top now."

"Yeah," Selina grinned. "I'm in a mood to ride you hard!" Then she paused. "Are you sure?" She asked, doubt creeping into her voice. "Even though I'm a little, you know, big?"

"Get on," Elijah commanded firmly and she straddled him as he gently ran his fingers up and down her abs and belly.

"Oh, geez," she muttered, lowering her head and giving him the opportunity to smell he hair as it brushed his bare chest. Then he rubbed her lower back in gentle circles and she growled softly.

"I'm pleased you're more willing to do foreplay more now," she got out. "But if you don't get inside me _right now,_ I-"

He cut her off with a cry, burying himself inside her over and over, holding her close against his body and listening for any sign from her that he was pushing too hard. Then he gently changed position, smiling down at her as his hands cupped either side of her face. "Good thing you'll be able to remember this," he remarked.

"Oh, yeah," she nodded as he slipped inside her again, bit her gently, and licked the blood up slowly with his tongue before thrusting over and over. "Oh, yes, I could never forget this!"

Finally, both exhausted, they collapsed next to one another on the blanket as the moonlight spilled over them. As she shut her eyes, he took her in his arms and gave her one last kiss. "Sleep well," he murmured against her ear, that making her have one more small orgasm all by itself. "You earned it."

"Damn right I did," she muttered sleepily and cuddled up against him as her breathing relaxed and she felt herself drifting off into a deep, wonderful sleep.

* * *

The next morning, she woke up and the blanket beside her was empty. She noticed Elijah staring out the window at the sunrise and came to sit next to him as he put his arms around her and kissed her hair. He'd found another blanket somewhere and had it wrapped around himself, but he made room under it for her too, once he saw her.

"Good morning, beautiful," he whispered. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I slept fine," Selina nodded. "Not that that's a problem. I've been tired a lot lately. And achy, and hungry, and moody."

"That's because you're pregnant," Elijah told her. "Whenever I hold you close I can hear the heartbeat. That's why you've been eating so much and been so tired..."

"And why you said I should go to the doctor after I fell off the horse!" Selina exclaimed. "It all makes sense now!" She put a hand to her forehead. "Oh, my god. I'm gonna have another baby!" She paused. "You seem real calm about this."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Elijah asked.

"Well, don't you wonder whether or not its yours?" Selina questioned. "It could be Dorian's."

"Is it?" Elijah asked.

"I...I don't...no, it's not," Selina shook her head. "It couldn't be; it's been too long. I guess we're starting family, round two!"

"I guess," Elijah nodded and then pulled a flower out from under the blanket. It wasn't anything fancy, just something colorful he'd gotten from around the barn.

"I found it when I went out to get some fresh air this morning," he said and brushed her cheek with it. "I know it's not much but I hope you like it."

"I love it," she said and smiled, taking the flower and giving it a sniff before resting her head against his chest. Then her stomach grumbled. "What do you say I get dressed then go to my new big kitchen and use all the pretty new shiny things to make breakfast? Do we need to go to the grocery store?"

"Well, the cupboards and refrigerator/freezer are fully stocked, naturally," Elijah said. "It just depends on what you want to make."

"I'll go have a look!" Selina grinned and reached for her clothes. "How do you feel about strawberry crepes?"

Elijah's eyes widened and he grinned. "You know I never say 'No' to strawberry anything. And don't forget your blood! You can get it from the fridge or..." he paused. "Or you can get it free range."

"Seriously?" Selina asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "If that's what you want...you do it."

Selina grinned. "Thanks but I've had enough of the outdoors for a bit. I'll take from the fridge today, as long as I'm ingredient hunting anyway."

"All right," Elijah smiled as they both made sure they were wearing all their clothes and then offered her his hand so he could lead her down the stairs and out the barn door.

They walked hand in hand to the main house and she was pleasantly surprised to see that she wouldn't need to make any extra runs to the grocery store. Then they made the crepes together before sitting down at the table with their plates and coffee, not even needing to speak as they just savored finally having each other.


	86. You Fear What You Don't Know

"Well, fuck!" Lily Eleanor cried as she tripped over the leg of a cart at the school library and fell to the ground, her stack of books exploding from her arms to the ground around her. She started to pick them up and then a new hand got the last one and handed it to her.

She looked up and saw a tall young man with light blue eyes looking back at her and holding the book out.

"The weight of a book will make it fall if you aren't holding it in your hands," he said, holding out the book til she took it. Something also told her that he was trying to tell a joke, and even though she had no idea why it was supposed to be funny, Lily-Eleanor laughed politely. Then she looked him over. Aside from light blue eyes and being very lanky, he was also nicely muscled. In a purely aesthetic sense, he was quite attractive.

"Is that so, Einstein?" She asked. "Thanks for the tip."

She turned and was starting to walk away when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Einstein was a great male creature," the young man told her.

"True," Lily-Eleanor nodded. "I need to go now. Nice talking to you. I need to check out my books now and you should too if you have any. The library is about to close." She nodded in the direction of the checkout desk and waited for him to go ahead of her, and when he just continued to stare, she gave him a gentle push.

"I don't need books," he told her as he began to move. "I'm studying humanity in person. It's all very fascinating." He leaned forward. "And so are you."

"Wow, personal space, all right?" She moved back. "Haven't you heard of personal space? All right, if you don't have books and I do, I'm afraid we're gonna have to part ways. It's been very...unusual talking to you."

"May I walk with you?" He asked politely. "Please?"

Lily-Eleanor sighed and rolled her eyes. "Humanity? Well, good luck with that. I'll give you a hint though that it's not very interesting." She paused. "What's your name anyway?"

"I am called He," the young man said in a flat voice.

"No, seriously," Lily-Eleanor giggled. "That is not a person's name. I meant what did your parents call you?"

"I already told you," He repeated. "I am called He. I have no parents. I am different."

"Yeah, well, we all have our issues," Lily-Eleanor shrugged. "Let's just check out our books and part ways." She paused. "You're joking about the robot thing. You have to be."

"I'm not the joking kind," he said firmly.

"Sure you're not," Lily-Eleanor nodded. "I bet you don't have a sense of humor at all. _That_ I would believe." She shook out her red hair and took his hand. "Come on!"

He looked down at her hand for a few seconds before following her. "I'm also studying biology," he continued in a strange, robotic voice as the announcement that the library would be closing in ten minutes sounded from overhead. "It's fascinating how you reproduce."

"Okay, you listen to me, whatever your name is," Lily-Eleanor got out, shaking her finger at his face. "You-"

"I told you, my name is He," the young man interrupted, tilting his head to study her. "Maybe you have a problem with your hearing?"

"Yeah, I'm not gonna call you that, even though I heard you just fine. You're really starting to piss me off now." Lily Eleanor shook her head, moving it out of his reach so that he couldn't grab strands of her red curls.

"You have a very unusual color of hair," he remarked.

"I don't!" She scoffed. "It's called being a redhead. Lots of people are!" It was something that she was sensitive about cause she was one of the few redheads in the family and sometimes that made her feel like she didn't belong.

"Actually, I don't know why it matters _what_ I'm gonna call you because we're just gonna check out our books, part ways, and never see one another again."

"You look at me like what you're saying and what you're thinking are not the same," He got out, tilting his head again. "Your body language indicates to me that you don't want to part ways. Am I right?"

"What?" Lily-Eleanor blushed. "No you are not! Why would you say something like that? I don't look at you any special way."

"Yes you do!" He grinned and took a bag off his shoulder, taking a book out and flipping to a page. "Because on page 86 of this book, it explains the flirting process between humans and it seems like when one human looks at another human the way you look at me, it is flirting!"

"Sorry to get your hopes up," she told him, hoping her long curtain of hair was hiding her blush. "But I don't do the whole 'flirting with men' thing."

"I don't understand why not," he told her. "You're very pleasing to the eyes!"

"That's it!" She growled. "You, check out books, now! Then I am going home and I hope with all my might that I never see you ever again!"

* * *

Enamored by the sunrise that was very visible from the half open windows of her and Elijah's bedroom, Selina got up, gave the soundly sleeping Elijah a kiss, left a sticky note on his bedside table that said "gone to kitchen" and then headed there to stare at the sun rising over the valley after making herself a cup of decaf with milk and moving a chair next to one of the large windows while she drank it.

She started when she felt hands on her shoulders, but calmed down at the kiss on her forehead.

"Sorry, darling," Elijah apologized as she looked up and he leaned down to kiss her lips. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay," Selina replied. "It was just so quiet that I wasn't expecting it. I see you saw my note."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Thank you for leaving it for me. Are you loving the view?"

"Yes, but not as much as I love you," she told him. "Thank you for making us this wonderful home, Elijah." She reached up and stroked his cheek, which felt like it hadn't been shaved in a day or two.

"I've been meaning to ask," she said as he took the cup, put it on the counter, and took her in his arms. "What do you want to call our ranch?"

He raised an eyebrow, but there was a light in his eyes. " _Our_ ranch, you ask?"

"Sorry," she blushed, her eyes downcast. "I mean _your_ ranch."

"Oh, I was just teasing you, baby," he smiled and kissed her nose. "It _is_ ours. What would _you_ like to name it? Go one, pick a name! Any name at all!"

"Well," Selina snuggled against him. "Could we call it Southern Comfort Ranch and Stables? I'm gonna have to shut down the bakery, but I want to keep the name alive."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elijah apologized. "When I had this house built, I didn't mean for you to close your bakery! You love that place!"

"Don't be mad, please," she said. "I'm gonna turn it into an online/phone order venture. The whole idea isn't gone. I'm still gonna bake. There just won't be a hellish commute into the city to contend with. You gave me a wonderful gift, Elijah and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"I like that idea," he smiled. "I like it a lot. As long as you're doing what makes you happy. And I have another surprise for you."

"You do?" Selina grinned. "What could it possibly be?"

"All the furniture in this house is temporary," he said. "I took extra from other places and stuck it here until you arrived and now...now I'm going to let you decorate."

"What?" Selina asked in genuine shock. "Are you sure? I mean, I know you probably are now, but I don't want you to see what I've done and have regrets!"

"No, no, I am choosing to trust you," he smiled. "I know what I'm getting into. Just promise me one thing: that you'll order a black leather chair for me."

Selina nodded. "I don't think that's too much to ask." She then began plotting in her head, knowing that she didn't want to take advantage of his goodwill, and deciding that all public spaces, such as the living room and the kitchen, would have furniture of her choice, but tasteful and not outlandish and nothing from second hand stores. She would make a _special_ room to hold stuff like that.

"Are you getting ideas?" He asked, breaking into her thoughts with a grin.

"Oh, yes, yes!" She kissed him. "It's gonna be great! And I'm not gonna take advantage of your good will, I swear! Even though I'm decorating, it'll still be stuff both of us are happy with."

Suddenly, a loud, insistent knock spoiled the idyllic mood.

"I wonder who that is?" Selina questioned.

"Don't worry, darling, I'll get it," Elijah assured her. He made his way to the door and opened it, surprised to see a red-faced and angry Arthur Gray stride into the room.

"I thought I'd find you here!" Selina's son with Dorian shouted at her face. "You should be ashamed of yourself, being with another man less than a year after Father died! Did you...did you orchestrate his murder just so you could shack up with someone else? Didn't he mean _anything_ to you? And I'm not gonna _ask_ your feelings about me! I don't want to know them!"

Then he noticed his mother's belly and turned on Elijah. "You should be ashamed of yourself! I thought you were a man of decency and honor, but you're not! She was married to another man when you jumped her bones and you _knew_ that! You're both despicable!"

"Arthur, I promise I had nothing to do with your father's murder," Selina tried to tell him. "I know you won't believe me and I deserve what you're saying, but...when your father died, I was just as shocked and heartbroken as you were. I'm just...I'm really bad at coping. What I do can hurt people, including you. And I'm sorry."

"Sure you are," Arthur scoffed. "People are _always_ sorry when they get caught doing something they shouldn't! I can't stay here another minute." He paused and caught Elijah's eye one more time. "You tell Lily about this," he said. "I won't tell her myself because you are _not_ getting a pass for this. You call her and tell her what you've done because it's what a decent person would do and I would hope that even though you wouldn't hesitate to hurt me, you'd stop before you did the same to your daughter...if you still care about her, that is."

He then strode out and slammed the door behind him.

"Well, that just killed the good mood," Selina sighed, feeling the air being thick with tension now. "He's right though. You have to tell Lily and I should have told Arthur the second this all happened."

"True, but you and he are both wrong about you deserving all his venom," Elijah put his arms around her. "You took responsibility, you apologized. You did everything you could have done to right your wrong, short of changing the past. You don't have to beat yourself up anymore."

"Yeah, you're right, but I probably will anyway," Selina sighed. "I just hope the other kids we share will take our reunion better than Arthur did."

* * *

Noah, Willie, and Cassidy were eating eggs, waiting for his cereal to turn soft in the milk, and reading the paper respectively when Willie gave Noah a nudge. "Go ahead and ask her!" He urged in a stage whisper. "Do it! Do it!"

"Do what?" Cassidy asked.

"Oh, I was just um, I, well...will you marry me?" Noah got out.

Cassidy spat out her orange juice when she heard this. "Excuse me?" She asked. "What did you say?"

"I want to marry you," Noah repeated, stronger this time. "And to adopt Willie!"

"Yeah, Cassidy!" Willie cried excitedly. "He wants to marry us!"

"No, thank you," Cassidy shook her head. "Eat your eggs before they get cold."

"Excuse me," Noah told her, moving the paper down so he could see her face again. "Did you just tell me 'No'?"

"She did!" Willie cried. "But if she doesn't marry you, can I still live here? I like this place!"

"Sure you can," Noah told him. "But before we drop this, I'd like to at least know why I'm being rejected!"

"Willie, take your cereal bowl and go into the living room while I talk to Noah, please," Cassidy instructed. "You can eat in front of the TV!"

"Fine," Willie pouted. "Why is it that I never get to hear any of the good stuff?" He grabbed his cereal and stomped off and once she was sure he was gone, Cassidy finally put down her paper and looked Noah in the eye.

"I _did_ say 'No' to you because...because you're not the marrying kind!" She scoffed. "I have no idea why you're even asking! I mean, sure you probably think you are because you live here with Willie and me and we're a nice little family. But...but it's all just pity still! Now that I'm no longer making money but we're still sleeping together, you think you have to in case I get pregnant or something because you think I can't manage without you and your big fancy apartment! I did before I met you and I could do it again if I had to."

"I'm not asking you to marry me because of anything involving our physical relationship," Noah told her through gritted teeth. "I know that you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. I just don't think you should have to. I'm in love with you, Cassidy! Why is that so hard to get through your head?"

"Don't you have bills to pay or paperwork to do or something?" Cassidy asked, her eyes narrowing. "I don't think we should talk about this anymore. Not when you're not capable of real love and just want to put your name on me like I'm some possession you can own! It's like your parents! I _know_ about the deal your mother made with your dad and why they're even together in the first place! She's his possession!"

"No, if you think that, you don't understand them at all!" Noah told her, rising to his feet. "He's under _her_ spell more than anything. Trust me, if either of them was unhappy with the relationship, they wouldn't stay in it. Sure, Dad didn't know if he could love at first, but Mom taught him that he could. That he could be close to someone and feel safe and secure and cared about for being the person that he was, when before that, everyone thought of him as evil, to the point where he'd internalized it himself. That's what I want you to feel when you're with me, Cassidy: That you're special and worthy and that you mean something to me."

"Pretty words," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "But I...I don't know if I can believe them."

"I hope you will someday," Noah told her. "And the offer will stay on the table until you do."

* * *

It was early the next morning, around two am, when the doorbell rang at Ellie and Lucifer's.

"What's that?" Ellie muttered sleepily. "Did you hear the bells too?" She then put the pillow over her head and fell back asleep.

"Don't you worry, Eleanor," Lucifer told her. "I'll go see who the pesky bell-ringer is." He made his way to the door, thinking of a few choice words for the person who would be so rude as to wake his wife up at this hour, but when he got the door open, all of them disappeared at the sight of his father standing on the doorstep and looking exhausted.

"Father is that you?" He asked. "I hope you don't mind my saying that you look like something that crawled up from the deepest depths of Hell. Can I get you anything?"

"Sorry, I haven't been sleeping," Steve apologized. "I've just been struck by this terrible, terrible sense of foreboding, and it won't go away."

"Well, that's nothing a good stiff drink won't solve," his son told him jovially. "I have several full bottles of various things about. I'll get you one. It won't put me out any at all."

"I'm serious!" Steve told him. "I sense that something terrible is coming, but other than that, I don't know anything at all!"

"Oh, calm down, Dad," Lucifer told him. "You're God, you know all! You probably just need some rest." He paused. "Not that I like to think about this, but...is Gwen keeping you up at night? Maybe you should talk to her about that."

"If Gwen was the one keeping me up at night, I wouldn't be here talking to you," Steve told him. "I would be reveling in it. But I think it's much more serious. The fact that I literally do not know what this evil is...it frightens me." He paused. "At least I have your aunt to help me now. Unlike your mother, I know she'll be useful in the battle against whatever's coming."

"Aunt?" Lucifer's eyebrows knitted. "I don't have an aunt!"

"Yes you do," Steve gulped down his drink and set the empty glass on the table. "Your mother has a sister. In the beginning, it was me, your mother, and her sister. I was in love with your aunt and your mother was jealous, which is why she made Iris disappear on the day of her and my wedding and when I couldn't find her, that's when I agreed to marry your mother."

"But...but where did she _go_?" Lucifer questioned.

"For eons I didn't know because your mother's spell that took her sister away hid her from me. But then, just recently, your mother told me that Gwen is her sister reborn. And I should have known. They're very similar. Gwen's been understandably hardened by life but the woman I first knew is definitely still in there."

"I don't exactly know what to say," Lucifer got out. "I've always felt very comfortable around Gwen...like we were family in a figurative sense. It appears I wasn't far off."

"No," Steve shook his head and got up to get another drink. "No, you weren't." Then he paused. "Did I wake Eleanor with all my bell ringing? I know she sleeps."

"Oh, she was only half-awake so don't worry about it," Lucifer assured him. "Probably thought she was dreaming. In the mean time...maybe you'll have a better time of it here. Do you want to give one of our rooms a try?"

Steve gave him a grin. "Thank you," he said. "Don't know how well it will work, but it's worth a shot." He paused. "I know...I know things aren't entirely better between us, Samael, but I'm pleased that they seem to have improved. Do you realize that they have?"

"I do," Lucifer nodded. "And believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are."


	87. Getting Over Bumps In The Road

"Morning," Selina whispered, grinning at the feeling of the soft silk sheets sliding over her naked body. This was really when she was the most comfortable: In bed and not restricted by any clothing.

"Good morning," Elijah told her and kissed her.

She chuckled and then murmured, "Touch me, touch me, please..." and grinned as she felt his hand slide between her legs, which she opened wide to accommodate him while she threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh, yes," she got out. "Oh, yes!"

Then he gave her a spank and ordered her to get on her knees.

She grinned and spoke with challenge in her voice. "What will you do if I don't? Spank me again? Bite me? Slap me?"

"On your knees," Elijah said firmly as Selina felt herself become warm and aroused, even more then before. " _Now_."

She licked her lips and obeyed, feeling gentle scratches down her back, followed by him licking the blood up, then a few gentle spankings before he entered her repeatedly from behind, stopping only when they were both panting with exhaustion.

Then he turned her onto her back and kissed her hand while she caught her breath before he began tasting her.

"Was this because I was a good girl?" She asked.

He paused and grinned down at her before gently sucking on each one of her nipples. "Yes," he told her. "You were a _very_ good girl."

* * *

"Oh, my god!" Elijah cried as Selina strode into the kitchen later in the day after a nap, her hand over her mouth to stifle a yawn. "You're _huge_!"

Selina looked down at herself and then glared at him. "Thank you for pointing that out. It's so polite of you."

"You weren't that big when you went to bed last night," Elijah frowned. "What the hell's going on? Were you lying to me about this being Dorian's demon spawn? Is that why you got so big so fast?"

"No!" Selina shook her head. "I admit it looks fishy but I swear this is _your_ son in here! I can't tell you why I got so big so fast! But will you at least give me a chance to do some investigating before you storm out? Don't you think we're having a boy too? You don't want to leave your son without a father."

"And just how will you figure out what's going on?" Elijah demanded.

"Well, I remember that Sarah's pregnancy with Elliot and Juliette was a bit different even the Junior was the father because of her having a kid with Josh the demon. I think I'll have her come here and explain that and then you won't have to worry." Selina assured him before he sat down and watched her grab her phone to call her sister.

As he tapped his fingers on the counter top, he watched Selina talk, and when she finally ended the call, she gave him a nod. "Sarah will be here to explain it all soon," she assured him.

"Good," Elijah snapped. "I think I need to have some peace and quiet to compose myself before they get here. I'll be in our room. Let me know when they've arrived, would you?"

"Yeah," Selina muttered without looking at him as she took a cookie out of the cookie jar on the breakfast bar. "I will."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked when Selina answered the door to her knock with Junior following close behind. "Sorry Elijah's not taking this new development so well."

Selina sighed. "I mean, in a way, I don't blame him, but...it's all a truckload of awkward and it seemed like with Dorian being dead, being with Elijah was the bright spot in my life and now that could all be ruined. You know how proud he is! And my son with Dorian's not taking any of it very well, either."

"Yes, well, they never really do," Sarah said. "At least not right away. Give it time, though. Hannah talks to me now."

"She does?" Selina gave a small smile. "Well, that's nice." She paused and then said, "Elijah is gathering his composure in our bedroom. Do either of you want a drink or something before I go tell him you're here?"

"We'll get it ourselves, if that's all right," Junior said. "I just need some water."

"Yeah," Sarah nodded. "Me too."

Selina then went to knock on the closed bedroom door. "They're here," she told Elijah. "You can come out!"

"Good," Elijah huffed, striding purposefully out into the hallway without looking Selina in the eye. "It's about time. Let's get this over with, shall we?"

They headed to the kitchen where Junior and Sarah at the large oak table with their waters and a couple pieces of cinnamon coffee cake left over from breakfast. Once the dishes were cleared away, the talking began.

"So this happened to you too?" Elijah addressed Junior. "Were you as horrified at the prospect of your wife bearing a child that's not your own as I was?"

"No, no, you don't understand!" Junior corrected him. "It'll still be your child. It'll just have a more demon-like growth pattern; it won't be a baby or child for very long, but it'll still be yours."

"Really?" Elijah asked. He still felt doubtful, but he had no idea why Junior would lie.

"We can get a blood test after the baby is born if you want," Selina said quietly. "If that's what it will take to prove it to you that it's yours, then I'll do it."

Her voice was resolute. She was looking him in the eye. She wasn't crying or attempting to emotionally manipulate him in any other way, which was a hallmark of her behavior when she'd screwed up in a relationship but was desperately trying to keep it alive.

Elijah sighed and looked around. He'd built this house for her. He'd built it firm in the idea that they were going to have a new start. And even though they were having a slight bump in the road a lot sooner than he would have liked, was he going to throw everything he'd wanted for ages and had finally received away just because of a sudden and disconcerting surprise? No, he decided. He would take Junior at his word that the child would still be his. And he supposed he could get used to the abnormal growth patterns. Having children who grew up quickly would be a benefit to the ranch.

"We don't have to do that," he told Selina at last. "I believe you and I believe Sean. It's just...a surprise. I'll get used to it though."

"It's not as hard as you think when you're actually experiencing it," Sarah assured him. "And think about how much more you'll get to do in your life since you'll be devoting much less time to caring for small, dependent babies! I got through college, I have a good job now, and I'm even thinking of applying to medical school myself!"

"You are?" Selina smiled. "Good for you, that's amazing! Have you told Daddy yet?"

"I haven't," Sarah shook his head. "Do you think he'll disapprove?"

"No, I honestly don't think he will," Selina assured her sister. "Daddy's really grown out of some of his more old-fashioned ideas about women and if he still lets me in his house after all the crap I've done, you wanting to be a doctor will not faze him at all." She smiled. "Then, once you go to medical school, the two of you can start up a practice together! How cool would that be?"

Junior and Sarah grinned at one another. "I'd like that!" She said. "It'd be a good way to make up for all the lost time when he was in medical school."

"I would too!" Junior nodded enthusiastically. "And speaking of making up for lost time, you two looking forward to working this ranch together?"

"Oh, yeah," Selina nodded. "I mean, we still have to tell all our kids and some will be happier about it than others, but...that gets better, right?"

"Yeah," Sarah nodded and put a hand on her sister's. "It's tough but you can get through it!" She paused. "Since this place is so out of the way, what are you gonna do about the bakery?"

"I've decided to do phone and internet orders instead," Selina smiled. "And close the actual building down since, as you say, it's so far."

"Good!" Sarah smiled. "If you need help putting spells on stuff so it can be kept fresh and sent places, let me know."

"Thank you," Selina smiled. "I will."

After this, Elijah and Selina took Junior and Sarah on a tour of the house and the stables, after which, they went on a ride while Selina and Elijah snuggled up next to each other on the porch swing.

"I'm sorry I got mad at you," he whispered to her and kissed her hair. "I love you."

"I accept your apology," Selina gave him a small smile and hugged him tight. "I love you too."

* * *

Even though she'd accepted his apology and seemed all right, Elijah still felt horrible for how he'd treated her, so while she and Andre plotted dinner, he left home and headed to a flower shop nearby, ordering three dozen baby pink roses.

"Little help here, please, Andre?" He asked when he arrived home, his face obscured by all the flowers. "I can't see a thing. I don't even know how I got in here."

"Of course!" Andre nodded and took two of the bouquets from him. "Where do you want them?"

"Well, since they're Selina's, you should ask her," Elijah grinned.

"All these are for _me_?" Selina grinned, clapped, and hopped up and down. "Oh, my gosh, they're all so pretty! Thank you, Elijah! Thank you!"

"You're welcome," he grinned. "I know you were all right with my apology but I wanted to make certain it was clear how sorry I am about my horrible behavior. I was unfair and you handled it with grace."

Selina sighed. "Thank you," she told him. "But we don't have to discuss it anymore. Let's not, okay?"

"You're right," Elijah agreed and pulled her as close as he could. "I won't say another word about it."

* * *

Later that night, Selina went to bed before Elijah did and when he finally came to join her, he held one of the roses in his hand and after undressing, climbed in bed beside her, brushing the rose gently down her cheek. "I'm glad you liked the flowers," he whispered.

"How could I not?" Selina whispered back and began kissing his neck. "They're so beautiful!"

"Hey," he chuckled. "What are you doing? I though you said you were tired!" He then gave a chuckle as she began sucking on him gently, pausing only to ask, "I got a second wind. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No," Elijah shook his head, relaxing and absentmindedly playing with her curls for a little while before shutting his eyes. "Not one bit."

Then, after he'd climaxed, he took her in his arms as she shut her eyes, kissed her one more time, told her he loved her and wished her goodnight.

* * *

Lily Eleanor was sitting on a bench, listening to music, reading a book for her lit class and taking notes when all of a sudden, hair stood up on the back of her neck and she had the distinct sensation that she was being watched.

She grabbed her pepper spray from her purse, took her earbuds out of her ears, and said, "I promise the pervert who's watching me that when I catch them I'm gonna make them hurt in so many ways! Don't think I can't do it!"

She then groaned when she heard the voice behind her: "I want to study you." She turned and found herself looking at He watching her with a cocked head.

"Yes, well, that's not something people say to other people," Lily Eleanor got out, trying not to betray the nervousness she felt as she gathered up her notes. "You're freaking me out now, so I'm gonna go. I think I need to just go...away."

He took a few steps toward her. "I find you fascinating."

"That may be, but I find you creepy," Lily-Eleanor got out. "And I'd like for you to leave me alone."

Heedless of her words, he came to sit next to her on the bench, his head cocked, his eyes unblinking. "I thought we already discussed the fact that you're lying and you don't want me to leave you alone."

"Do you have some sort of sickness?" She asked as she tried to scoot away from him. "Are you autistic?"

"People who have autism are not sick," he told her in that almost robotic voice of his. "Just different."

Lily-Eleanor groaned and began pulling at her hair. "What am I going to do with you?" She cried.

He tilted his head. "You wan to do something with me?" He questioned.

"Oh, it's just a figure of speech!" She yelled in exasperation. "I'm not speaking literally!" Then she just began to laugh and laugh because she didn't know what else to do, and it didn't stop until she was doubled over on the bench with a belly ache.

As she laughed, she felt him put a few fingers under her chin to bring her head up so that they were looking one another in the eyes. Then he smiled. "I like your laughter," he said.

"Oh, dear," Lily-Eleanor wiped tears from her eyes. "You may be a weirdo, but I don't suppose you're a serial killer, are you?"

"I am neither a weirdo nor a serial killer," He told her.

"Right," Lily Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Right."

"Can I study you?" He asked again.

"Is this for a class?" She wanted to know.

"No, it's for my people," he answered.

"Your people? Really?" She threw up her hands. "Fine, study away, but I don't know what it is you expect to find. I'm not exactly interesting."

He stood up from the bench and held out his hand to her. "Would you come to my room?"

She growled and shook a finger at him. "I knew it! You just want to make out with me!"

He tilted his head again. "I don't know...make out," he told her. "I thought you didn't like that."

Lily-Eleanor blushed but kept her eyes on his. "No, but that doesn't mean you can take advantage of me!"

"I just want to study you," he repeated. "Will you come?"

"No," she blushed and began gathering up her books, music, and notes. "I have a class to get to. Maybe another time."

She then got everything properly balanced in her arms and walked off without a 'Goodbye', relieved to be away from him once more so she could prepare herself for their next encounter, but, to her surprise, sad also that she was leaving him.


	88. So Many Ways To Say I'm Sorry

"Everything's gonna be all right," Sophia tried to assure Elijah as he winced and tensed with every boom of thunder that sounded from outside. Selina had gone out for groceries and had assured him that she would be back in a timely manner, which is the only reason why he let her go. But it had been some time since she'd left and he was beginning to worry. "It's just a storm. I'm sure Selina can handle it."

"No, Sophia, you don't understand!" Elijah cried, grabbing her shoulders. "Selina _hates_ storms! She never goes out in them if she can help it and if she has to, she runs right back! She should be here by now! And what's worse, she didn't take her phone with her! I told her that I didn't need those extra plants in the salad, but did she listen? Oh _, no_ , why does she have to listen to me? I'm just the man who is the father of her child and who built her our dream home!"

"Okay, take a deep breath, calm down. and...and would you like me to get you a drink?" Sophia questioned.

"I don't need a drink," Elijah proclaimed, pulling on his coat as visions of a badly wounded Selina flashed before his eyes. "I need to save the woman I love!"

"Well, that's very sweet of you," Sophia shouted over the crash of thunder as the house lights flickered. "But be careful, we don't want this storm to hurt you too."

"I'm taking my phone with me and I'll call you and Andre when I find her," Elijah instructed as he made his way to the door. "You wait by the house phone in case she calls here."

"And just where are you going to look?" Sophia cried. "Do you even have a plan?"

"I'll start looking outside, maybe in the barn, in case she got back and was lost," Elijah told her. "If I don't find anything, I'll get in the car and head to the grocery store to see if she told anyone where she was planning to go," Elijah said.

"All right," Sophia nodded. "Go to your wife now. You probably shouldn't wait another minute. Good luck."

"Thank you," Elijah told her as he put his hood over his head and prepared to go out into the rain. "Thank you very much, Sophia."

* * *

As he entered the barn, he heard screaming. Familiar screaming. Hers. Selina was in some sort of trouble, which made him break out into a run.

"Here you are!" He yelled, trying not to sound judgemental cause Selina was clearly in labor on a blanket in the hay and in terrible pain. "How long has this been going on?"

"I...I was stopping to feed my horse an apple before I came inside and it just happened," Selina told him. "I haven't been like this for very long. I made it here from the stables before it became too much."

"I'd ask if you were fit to go to the hospital, but with how badly it's storming out, I think it might be best if I just delivered our son myself," Elijah decided, removing his coat, pushing up his sleeves, and then pulling out his phone to call Andre and Sophia so they would know what was going on and to bring hot water and towels.

"Do you know how lucky you are that I found you?" Elijah cried. "Do you realize what could have happened if...?"

"I know you're worried," Selina got out. "But spare me the lecture. I could have given birth on my own if I had to. I had my first kid in the middle of a freaking war zone, remember? You're just in an optional but desirable supporting role here! If I wasn't in so much pain, I'd..."

"Here's the stuff!" Sophia proclaimed before she could finish, handing Elijah the towels while Andre dealt with the water and stuck a pillow under Selina's head. "How are we doing here?"

"I'm in terrible pain and I want to kill everyone," Selina winced and screamed. "How are you?"

"Here, you can take my hand," Sophia offered. "It'll be all right."

"Thanks and I hope you don't mind broken fingers," Selina warned her. "I'm very strong."

"Good thing you seem to know what you're doing," Sophia told her, her voice full of nervousness. "I've never done anything like this. Is it normal for you to give birth so early? What if the baby's not okay?"

She looked at Elijah, who was peering under the blanket that covered his wife and waiting to see the baby's head. "I know it's storming," she told him. "But if she's going into labor this early, there could be something wrong with the baby. Maybe we should take her to a professional just to be safe."

"I understand your concern," he told her kindly as he finally looked up. "But this isn't actually the first child of mine that I've delivered. I know what I'm doing."

* * *

By the time the baby popped out of his mother, the storm had moved on and the only sound they heard was that of the baby boy's cries, mingling with Elijah's soft sniffling, which he was trying to hide because he didn't want Selina to see him cry, even if it was happy crying.

"Oh, thank god that's over!" Selina cried as Elijah handed her their child. "That was the most painful thing..." She paused and then turned to Sophia, who was sucking on her fingers to try and make the pain go away. They weren't broken, but Selina had still squeezed awfully hard. "Are you okay? Should we take you to the hospital to check for broken fingers?"

"No, I'm...I'll be fine, thanks," Sophia told her. "Would you like us to help you inside? I bet you don't want to be in this barn any longer."

"Thanks, but let's just wait a minute," Selina told her. "I don't think I can walk quite yet."

"I could carry you," Elijah offered as Selina turned her body and reached for her discarded underwear to put them back on. "And Sophia could take the baby. What do you say?"

"All right," Selina agreed, letting out a squeak of surprise when a bug crawled out of the hay very close to her face. "Maybe it would be a good idea to go inside. Who knows what else is crawling around in here."

So Elijah handed Sophia baby Scott and carried Selina into the house while Andre followed them, carrying the extra towels and water container and thinking that he could use a stiff drink.

* * *

When they got in the house, Sophia was reluctant to hand Scott over when Selina held her arms out.

"Sorry," she apologized. "He's just...he's so beautiful. The most beautiful baby I've ever seen." She snuggled him close and then handed the baby back to his mother, who gave him to Elijah and went to take a nap. "Now that the storm is over, I should probaby go check on my dog."

"Oh, I'm sure your dog would be fine," Elijah said. "Don't leave, please." He went to lock the door. "Please stay and eat with us."

"You're kind, but I...I really can't," Sophia told him. She was beginning to feel a little nervous. Why wouldn't they let her leave? Were they secret murderers? Had she seen too much? Would they kill her now?

"What's going on here?" Selina asked, coming into the room with a smile after waking up from her nap and not looking like a woman who'd just given birth at all. "Elijah, you should invite Sophia to stay for dinner!"

"Oh, I have," Elijah assured her.

That made Sophia's heart sink. She'd been hoping that Selina would be the one to let her go, but she was definitely in on whatever scheme was going on. Even though the door was locked and both of them were staring at her intently, she decided to try and make a run for it.

"Okay," she said. "I'm glad to help you deliver your baby and all...but I _really_ have to go check on my dog now. She's probably peed all over the house."

"We can't let you leave," Elijah told her.

"No, we can't," Selina shook her head. "Not until we tell you what we are. If we're gonna all be friends, we owe you that."

"Oh, you don't owe me anything," Sophia told her and gave a nervous chuckle. "Are you murderers or cannibals or something? When you look at me, do you see a tasty snack?"

"We don't eat people," Elijah assured her. "And even if we were that sort, you wouldn't be in any danger because we like you."

"Oh, so you're..." Sophia's eyes narrowed. " _Vegetarian_ cannibals? Is there such a thing?"

"No, we're...we're not cannibals," Selina told her. "We're vampires." She then waited while Sophia stared in silence before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, you're vampires, okay! That's a funny joke! Thank you for helping me get rid of my nervousness."

"No, we really are," Elijah insisted, opening the fridge to show her the blood bags. "Why would we have these if we weren't vampires?"

"You could be the sort of people who pretend they are and drink blood," Sophia told him. "You don't look like vampires at all."

"Well, these are modern times," Selina grinned. "The whole _Dracula_ aesthetic is _so_ nineteenth century! In fact, I remember reading that book when it first came out and I wanted to storm Bram Stoker's house and whack him repeatedly over the head with it!"

"You mean you don't sleep in coffins and skulk around eating people at night then slither back home once the sun comes up so you don't burn crispy?" Sophia questioned.

Selina then put her hand out with her daylight ring on it. "Sunlight's still a danger," she said. "But as long as I wear this ring, or have this stone somewhere on me, I won't burn."

"That's neat," Sophia got out, feeling a smidge better. "And...you don't drink blood directly from people?"

"I do sometimes," Selina shrugged. "But I wouldn't hurt you, I promise. And neither would Elijah. In fact, he's better behaved about that then I am."

"That's true," Elijah grinned and put a hand on Selina's shoulder. "I am. Now that we've cleared that up, do you really want to come back for dinner after you check on your dog? We eat actual food, I promise. In fact, Selina is an awfully good cook and baker. And our house manager Andre has an impressive cooking repertoire himself."

"Okay," Sophia replied as Elijah finally unlocked the door. "Sounds good. Thank you."

* * *

"You know," Selina sighed from the rocking chair that she'd scooted closer to the bassinet and sat in it as she and Elijah stared at their baby. "He's so cute I practically forget how much pain I was in." She paused and took Elijah's hand. "I know what I said before, but...thank you for helping me. It made it much easier having you there."

"You're welcome," Elijah smiled and kissed her hair. "But _please_ at least tell someone where you're going before you run off like that and please also make sure you have your phone. It puts my mind more at ease if I know I can reach you in case something goes wrong."

"I know," Selina sighed. "I guess I'm just not used to someone actually giving a crap about where I am. I'll...I'll try and do better about that."

"That's all I ask," Elijah told her, picking the baby up and holding him close. He'd been upgraded from a towel to a warm and fuzzy blanket covered in smiling blue cows. "I hope Scott has big blue eyes like you," he told her.

"Me too," Selina grinned. "How long has it been since we had a kid who looked like me?"

"I think Laura is the last one who looks truly like you and she was born a while ago," Elijah smiled and gently ruffled his son's spray of dark hair after handing him to his mother. Then he grinned. "What do you think the other children will say when they hear all this?" He asked. "They don't know that we've reunited, much less that you were expecting or that you've given birth. We should be gentle. This could be quite a shock."

"You make a very good point," Selina nodded. "Who should we tell first? Or should we just gather everyone together and tell them all at once? Maybe we can tell Gregory and he can tell everyone else." She paused. "No, we shouldn't do that; it's cowardly and we're better than that."

"It's only cowardly if we know they aren't gonna like it and how could they hate their parents being back together?" Elijah asked. "And I'm sure they'll love to meet their new little brother."

"Okay," Selina nodded. "You want to call them, or should I?"

"I will," Elijah said. "Now you should probably put on something new for dinner. It probably won't be long until Sophia comes back."

"I hope she does," Selina smiled and went to go change. "I really like her."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Lily-Eleanor sighed as she followed He to his apartment. "Aren't there horror movies where guys ask a girl to come alone to their apartment and see their dog and then something horrible happens?"

"His name is Dog," He told her. "You'll like him. He's very nice."

The door opened and Lily Eleanor waited to be pounced on, but was instead confronted by what was undoubtedly a metallic robot dog, who gave a bark, did a flip, and and took steps on little robot legs.

"Oh, clever!" Lily Eleanor smiled after getting over the surprise. "You don't have to clean up their messes that way. Smart! And he's kind of cute for a robot." She paused and looked at He, who was eying her thoughtfully, his head cocked like always.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing," He replied. "You just make me feel things, Lily-Eleanor. I smile now. And laugh."

"Now how do we start this studying thing of yours?" She asked. "What do I have to do?" She didn't know what to say about making him smile, so she just settled on saying nothing and getting down to business.

"Why don't you like male humans?" He asked.

"That's none of your business!" She snapped with a blush and busied herself with the robot dog. Then she saw him lower his eyes in shame and she asked, "Was that part of you wanting to study me? If it was, I just...I've had lots of sex with guys and it's never really done anything for me. I like stuff like holding hands more."

He took his book off the table and flipped through the pages. "So you're...asexual?"

"I guess," she said, shrugging and smiling shyly. "It's nice to know there's a word for it."

"There is," He assured her. "I don't like having sex either. What _do_ you like to do with human men?"

"You...you don't like having sex either?" Lily Eleanor asked in surprise. "Why not? Have you looked at yourself lately?"

"I don't understand," He told her. He seemed genuinely baffled.

"Well, you're very pleasing to the eyes, Mister," Lily Eleanor blurted out.

"I thought you didn't like men that way," He questioned.

"Just because I don't like having sex, it doesn't mean I don't like looking," Lily Eleanor explained. "I can admire things and people I find attractive. But I don't need sex in a relationship. Holding hands is good enough. I like that much better."

"All right," He replied and held out his hand to her. "Hold my hand?"

"Okay," Lily Eleanor replied, taking his hand, which felt a little cool. "You must not really have good blood flow," she observed. "Let me get your circulation back!" She began gently massaging his palm with her thumb.

But then, the bark of the dog made her realize what she was doing and she quickly dropped his hand before running back to the table and sitting down before clearing her throat. "Enough of that," she decided, avoiding his eyes. "What's your next question?"


	89. Difficult Deliveries

"Oh, here you are!" Lisa cried, hunched over on the stairs by the front door as Lee made his way inside. "Do you know how long I've been trying to call you? Why have you been ignoring me?"

"I had stuff to do," Lee shrugged. "What you had to say could wait because it was probably just to nag me about something."

"No, you idiot!" Lisa hissed. "I'm in labor and...and no one else is home! I think...I think something is wrong!"

Lee got a little closer and realized that she was paler than usual, and he saw blood trickles on the stairway.

"My god, you're bleeding!" He cried, shocked into concern, picking her up just as a boom of thunder caused the power to go out.

"Shit," Lee muttered under his breath.

In her weakened state, Lisa wasn't able to use a lot of magic, but it was enough to get them to the living room, where he settled her down and called for someone to come help and she lit the room up a little.

"Give it up, no one is here but us," Lisa told reminded him again. "Ellie gave everyone the day off and then she and Lucifer went to see her parents. I don't know where anyone else is. I just know we're alone."

She then let out a cry and Lee almost screamed himself when he saw how blood-soaked her skirt and the carpet was. If he didn't do something, he sensed she wouldn't finish this birth alive.

"Stay with me," he said and bit his wrist. "Everything will be all right if you can just stay with me!"

She nodded and opened her mouth so that some blood could trickle in, which made Lee breathe a small sigh of relief. She seemed a little better, her witch and vampire parts probably racing inside of her to fight off whatever their child was doing. That would buy him some time, he hoped. He continued to feed her blood in intervals, a little more each time, while taking her hand and making sure she squeezed his (even to the point where it hurt) to keep her conscious while also talking to her.

When it was finally time to deliver the baby, Lisa let out such a terrible shriek that Lee thought for sure that in spite of all his efforts, the end was near for her and that he'd have to raise their child alone. He got the little girl out, wrapped her up, and waited, praying as hard as he could, even though the concept was strange to him, and trying not to look at the blood from Lisa's labor spattered everywhere. There was so much...so much...

He held the little girl close and waited, the only sounds being his breathing, the little baby's soft whimpering, and the patter of rain on the windows.

"Are you hanging on?" He whispered to Lisa as she went still. "Lisa, you're gonna be okay!"

But there was no response. In spite of everything he'd done, she didn't make it. He shut her eyes and left her reluctantly to go put the baby down somewhere, and when he came back, he was in for a surprise: Lisa was sitting up. She was awake. She was talking.

"Where's the baby?" She asked. "Is the baby okay?"

"Yes, the baby's fine, but...how..? You died!" He told her and kissed her hand. "How are you even sitting up? Not that I'm not grateful, but..."

"I'm hungry..." Lisa got out, her eyes flashing black. "Lee, I'm so _hungry_."

"I did it!" He grinned. "It worked, oh, thank goodness!" He hugged her for a moment and then she quickly pulled away.

"Lee, I feel strange," she said, looking terrified. "What's happened to me?"

"I had to make you a demon," he told her. "I know it's selfish and scary, but...I couldn't just let you die. Please don't be mad at me. Let me help you through this." He zapped up a blood bag and handed it to her, watching her finish it in seconds before asking for another.

"We have a little girl," he told Lisa with a smile as he pushed her sweaty hair out of her eyes.

"We do," she grinned. "Thanks for the blood. I feel a little better now."

"Good," Lee smiled. "I know we can't leave the house cause it's too stormy out and there's no one to watch the baby, but...I need to call Ellie's father. Someone should look at you both. Do you mind?"

"No," Lisa shook her head as he picked her up, zapped her into some clean clothes, and carried her to the sofa. "I think I need that very much. And so does the baby."

After leaving their daughter with her mother, Lee took his phone out and made the call to Junior, who appeared almost immediately.

"What the hell happened here?" He asked, stunned. "Must have been some delivery!"

"Sorry about all the blood," Lee told him. "I mean to clean it up, but this is more important."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize to me about blood," Junior assured him as they made their way back to Lisa. "I see worse than this all the time between the operating room and the other stuff I do at the hospital. How's the patient? Or should I say _patients?"_

"Well, she's conscious and sitting up and talking," Lee said. "And the baby...the baby doesn't seem to be having any trouble."

"That's a promising start," Junior remarked. Then he saw Lisa sitting on the sofa. To the untrained eye, she just looked like a normal vampire, but little changes, especially to her skin and eyes, making the former paler and the latter darker, screamed to him that she was beginning her demon transition.

"Lee told me that I'm gonna be a demon now cause he gave me his blood to save me," Lisa got out. "Is that true? What does that mean?"

"Yes, it's true that you're gonna be a demon," Junior told her. "If you hadn't died with his blood in your system, it would have just left it naturally, but since you died, you're gonna change. Just like with vampires. But for demons, the speed at which you change varies. For you, since you have other supernatural blood in you, it might take time and it might be somewhat difficult while it all battles it out for supremacy. I'd like you to be in the hospital while the worst of that happens so I can monitor you."

"Yay," Lisa got out. "That sounds like fun."

A side of Junior's mouth drew up as he gently took the baby from her and began looking at it. "You're right," he said to Lee. "Despite the difficulty of the delivery, this little one seems to have made it out all right. But I'd like to get them both to the hospital now. Someone should leave a note."

"I'll do it," Lee said. "I'll leave a note for Amy and you help those two to your car."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Junior nodded and began gently guiding Lisa and the baby outside. "See you in a little bit."

* * *

Meanwhile, Juliette was also in labor and making a phone call to Valerie from a dingy hotel room near Community headquarters. And when Valerie realized what was going on, she joined her aunt immediately, feeling immense chagrin.

"You don't have to have my baby here!" She cried as she looked around the room, which seemed like it hadn't been cleaned in years. "Why don't you let me take you someplace nicer?"

"I was...I can't," Juliette told her. "Not enough time." She then gripped the mattress hard and let out an impressive stream of swear words.

"Oh, all right," Valerie conceded when the noise died down. "But after we get this baby out of you, we're getting out of here and going some place cleaner, at the very least." She squished several small bugs that were on the comforter and then they waited.

Finally, the baby came out, and as Valerie held it in her arms, she looked between mother and son, her father's lessons about lying finally hitting home. "Here, maybe you should take him," she said. "He...he should grow up with his mother, not someone who is a liar and a bad example. I'll just tell Dexter I had an accident and miscarried."

"No, don't!" Juliette turned her head, trying with all her might not to do just that because she knew it was too much for her to handle. "Just take him, please! You and Dexter deserve him. He'll be better off with you. Take him to his nice home. Take him to meet his father."

"All right, I will," Valerie sighed. But she still hesitated. Something told her that this wasn't right. "You and your crappy timing," she told her conscience. Then finally, reluctantly, she left Juliette alone in the hotel room because Juliette was too exhausted to get up and leave, but at least made sure the room was clean before she headed out the door.

* * *

By the time she got home, the spell had worn off, her belly was its normal size. Valerie settled in her bed after setting the baby down in a bassinet and then called Dexter, who was at the hospital visiting Lisa with Lucifer and Ellie.

"I...I had the baby," she got out. "I would have waited for you, but you know that he would come when he came. Sorry you had to miss it."

"Oh, I understand!" Dexter told her. "But that's _marvelous_ news. Lisa had her baby too, but it didn't go so well and Lee had to turn her into a demon to keep her alive. Your grandfather wanted to keep them in the hospital for a while for observation. Are you all right? Do you need to be checked out too?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Valerie assured him. "I mean, it hurt a hell of a lot but other than that, it was pretty easy going."

"Good," Dexter replied. "That's wonderful to hear. Just sit tight and I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I will," Valerie replied. "I can't wait for you to come and meet our son."

"Yeah," Dexter nodded, sounding very pleased and excited. "Me too!"

* * *

Although her and Juliette's fib had so far gone undetected, the happiness of Dexter meeting his child was marred by Valerie's fear that she'd give herself away somehow. Luckily though, Dexter was too enamored by the little boy to notice her nerves. Or if he _did_ notice them, he just shrugged them off as a side effect of the supposed birth and nothing to worry about.

"You look so happy," She said at last. "Dexter, are you happy?"

"Yeah," Dexter smiled. "I am. Thank you for this. It's what I've always wanted. We're gonna be a nice little family now."

"Yeah," Valerie smiled, glad she could do something to make him so happy, and still somewhat surprised by how much she was looking forward to being a mother.

Then she froze as Nyx came into the room from the bathroom where she'd been hiding and went up to Dexter and the baby, who were sitting on the floor by the bed, praying that the demon dog wouldn't freak out.

"Nixie, be gentle," she got out.

But she needn't have worried. Nyx just sniffed the baby, licked him a little, then curled up next to Dexter with her head on his knee, watching the newest member of her family with interest.

* * *

It seemed like hours after Valerie had gone with the baby that Juliette finally felt strong enough to get out of that bed.

Not wanting to confront the scary looking man at the counter again, she left a twenty on the pillow and stumbled out of the room, past the mercifully abandoned reception desk, down the sidewalk, and next to her car. She pulled her keys out of her pocket, pressed unlock, and just as the beep sounded in her ears, her legs buckled underneath her and she crumpled on the pavement, a sharp pain in her head as she hit it.

Here it is, she thought. This is where I die. Then she heard her name in tones of love, concern and worry. It was Joe.

"Jules! Jules, babe, are you all right? What are you doing out here? I have to get you home!"

He started to carry her away from the car, but she muttered, "sorry, love...my home..."

He sighed, put her in the car, and then rifled around in her purse to try and find her address, realizing she wanted to go to _her_ home, not his. He'd wanted to see where she lived. He was just sad he had to find out this way.

He found her driver's license and started the car, making his way to the address he'd seen, all the while trying to ignore every whimper because if he listed to them, he would go against her wishes and take her straight to his house, which was closer, and take care of her there.

"You're gonna be all right," he said, trying to keep her talking. "What happened?"

"I...I must've partied too hard last night," Juliette lied, sounding woozy and exhausted. "I thought I was ready to get out of bed and drive home but obviously I was wrong."

"Well, _obviously_!" Joe agreed. "What were you thinking? If I hadn't shown up, you would have just lain there like a lump for ages!"

"Yeah, I guess I'm really lucky," Juliette got out, her voice soft. "Thank you, Joe."

"You're welcome," he told her. "I'm taking you home. Your father the doctor will make you better."

"You want to come inside?" Juliette questioned. "I'm sure my parents would love to thank you."

"No, not yet," Joe shook his head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not ready now."

"All right," Juliette nodded. "I can respect that."

When they reached her house, he reluctantly left her on the front step and rang the doorbell, hoping that someone would come quick and take her inside. He waited in his car on the side of the street until he saw a blond young man pick her up and bring her in, shutting the door behind them, and then finally felt good enough to leave because he knew she was safe and for now, that would have to be enough for him.

* * *

Once he got his sister inside, Elliot couldn't resist questioning her, even though she seemed out of it. "What the hell happened to you?" He asked. "What were you doing on the front step? Is your head okay? Why are you bleeding?"

He began poking and prodding at her like he'd seen his father do to check for injury. The wound itself healed quickly enough but something still felt off to him.

"Would you stop?" Juliette ordered her brother in a stronger voice and pushed him away before she lay down on the sofa and shut her eyes. "I need some breathing room. There's nothing to worry about. I just got drunk, that's all. I won't be doing _that_ again."

"I think there's something you're not telling me," Elliot said. "I don't know what it is, but we're going to the hospital anyway, no buts."

So Juliette let out a sigh as she was carried to yet _another_ car and driven to the hospital.

* * *

When they arrived, she prayed that her father was busy and someone else would have to examine her because there was no way she could get away with lying to her father.

Fortunately, her wish came true and by the time the other doctor came to examine her, she was much more alert than she had been before and answered immediately when he gave the correct diagnosis.

"You've just given birth recently, haven't you?" He asked. "Was it a hard delivery? You seem sort of weak."

"Yeah, I...it was hours ago though," she said, trying to shrug it off. "I'm...I'm okay."

"No, you're not," the doctor replied. "I'm gonna get you a room and tell your father that you and your brother are here."

"Okay, if you have to," she said. "But please don't tell them about me giving birth. They don't even know I was pregnant. Can't you just say that it was exhaustion and not drinking enough blood that got me here?"

"If that's what you'd like me to say," the doctor agreed. "Because I can't tell them anything without your express permission so your secret is just between us."

"Good," Juliette smiled, full of relief. "Thank you very much."

And, true to his word, he stuck with their story when Junior arrived.

"Who hasn't had a day iike that?" Junior told her. "I'm just glad you're all right. And I hope you'll be more careful and watch your blood intake in the future cause you won't gain anything from not feeding. You'll just make yourself feel terrible and that's not what we want, is it?" He smiled and took her face in his hands. "We want you well, don't we? I'll go call your mother and tell her what happened. She'll want to know."

"You want to wheel her to a room first?" The doctor asked him. "I got room 32C reserved for her."

"Oh, yes," Junior nodded. "You think she'll need to be here at least overnight, Mike?"

"At least," Mike agreed as Juliette got dressed again, sat down in a wheelchair. and she and Junior headed to her room, where he tucked her in and went to buy her a bear from the hospital gift shop before calling Sarah, who was teaching yoga at the gym, to tell her what happened.


	90. Deciding How Much Is Too Much

"Wow, Grandpa, do you know how to make a house or what?" Charlotte Junior asked as she got out of her car in front of Jeff's mansion, slammed the door closed, and then grabbed a bottle of wine from the cooler in the trunk along with two glasses before zapping herself inside to look for Jeff.

It wasn't hard to find him. He was practicing his sermon in a loud, clear voice that echoed through the halls, even though his rehearsal took place in his bedroom. He was so into it that he didn't notice Charlotte sneak in, remove her coat to reveal nothing but a tiny red dress that left little to the imagination, put the wine on the chest at the foot of the bed, and then pose suggestively as she watched.

Finally she shouted at him and it made him freeze. "What?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to hear you talk," she said and opened the wine to pour him a drink. "Would you like some wine?"

"No, I...how did you get in here?" He asked.

Charlotte Junior shrugged. "Zapped myself in with my magic. Not surprising you didn't hear me because you were talking so loud."

"Yes, well," Jeff cleared his throat. "Like I told you, I have to practice my sermon for Sunday so if you must stay, be quiet. I need to concentrate."

"Oh, of course," Charlotte nodded seriously. "Why don't you start from the top?"

"That's what I have to do since I forgot where I was before you came in," he told her.

Charlotte Junior smiled. "Excellent." She held out a glass of wine. "Are you sure you don't want a drink? It wouldn't be any trouble to pour you one since I'm pouring one for myself already. "See?" She poured some and took a drink.

"Forgive me, Father, but your granddaughter is testing me," Jeff got out, his eyes on the ceiling, before accepting a drink from her, downing it, and then turning his back to her to recite his sermon, which turned out to be a good choice because as he spoke, she slipped off her panties and pleasured herself to his words.

When he was finished, he turned around to find her smiling at him, her hands neatly in her lap. "So..." He got out, not knowing what else to say. "Not that I care, but...what do you think?"

"If you don't care, then why are you asking?" She questioned. "Don't worry, it truly made me feel things. You should be proud."

"Well...thank you," Jeff got out. "I'm surprised you appreciate it. In fact, you probably don't really. You just want to manipulate me."

"Oh, come on now," she said. "Can't you just take a compliment? Why do you have to be so suspicious of everything? Is it because I'm the devil's daughter? What happened to 'Judge not, lest ye be judged'?"

"Oh, don't you do that to me," Jeff chided as he came to sit next to her on the bed. "I know it's impossible to keep myself away from you since I've been instructed to help you better yourself, but that...that's my main goal for now. And maybe, just maybe when you start showing signs of maturity, we could try other things, but that will have to wait."

"Or we could get all the naughty stuff out of our systems now and it will be easier for me to concentrate on becoming a grown up," Charlotte Junior suggested, her dark eyes bright. "Did you ever think of that?" She paused and grinned. "Although I'm very pleased you just admitted you want to do other things with me."

Jeff realized how that sounded and blushed. "I meant us being friends," he corrected. "I didn't mean...what you want me to mean."

"Yeah, sure," Charlotte Junior winked. "Whatever makes you more comfortable. The truth, what you _really_ meant, will stay our little secret, I promise."

* * *

Instead of stuffing her face like she usually did, Ellie spent breakfast the next day studying Lee and Lisa who, although they were sitting next to each other, were clearly not getting along. Lisa was trying to get Lee to interact with their baby until he finally got so annoyed with her efforts that he got up to move one chair over.

Ellie opened her mouth to ask about this, but Lucifer put a restraining hand on her arm and spoke in a whisper that sounded like a shout in the quiet room.

"Don't, Eleanor," he urged. "It's not our business."

"I know, but I can't let this go on," Ellie said. "They're not even talking to each other! She's trying so hard and he's treating her like garbage!"

"Would you stop?" Lee finally hissed at Lisa. "Go away! Don't you get the point? I don't want anything to do with you or it!"

Then Lisa's lip trembled and she got up and ran out of the kitchen, holding the baby close to her heart as Ellie scowled at Lee, her eyes going red because she too had begun to attain a certain appearance from being in Hell and this was just the time to introduce it.

When Lee saw her eyes, his widened and he leaned back a little. "How could you do that?" She got out in a gravelly voice. "How could you treat your family this way, especially when it was _you_ who wanted a child so badly? And what about poor Lisa? Don't you see how hard she's trying to get your attention?"

"I do see all that," Lee said firmly as he got his composure back. "But I don't want to be tricked into it. Having a family, that is. If that's what Lisa wanted, she should have talked to me first and given me a say. Just because we had a child together does not automatically mean I have to forgive her just to give her peace of mind. What about _my_ feelings? Don't they matter too? I don't remember you saying a word to her about how wrong it was for her not to let me in on her decision about the abortion before she did it, Ellie. Whose side are you on, anyway?"

Not knowing how to respond to that, Ellie just busied herself with her breakfast.

"See?" Lucifer got out. "It would have been much easier if you would have just kept your mouth shut, Eleanor."

Meanwhile, Dexter and Valerie were much happier with their little boy, whose name they still hadn't decided on.

"What do you think we should call him, Daddy?" She asked Lucifer as she looked down into the baby's face. "Any suggestions? And I know you kind of hate the idea but since you did it for Lexie and Emma, could you do the same thing for our kid?"

"Oh, I, um..." Lucifer tried to get out of it. "I really...you don't want me to do that whole godfather thing. Bad idea."

"But why?" Valerie asked. "Why would you do it for Maeve and not for me?"

"Well, I, um..." Lucifer scrambled to find an excuse, which was not helped by Ellie frowning at him and asking what was wrong with him.

"I can't tell you, all right?" He burst out. "That's between my Father and me and I can't have any part of this."

"Why not when you beg Angelica to bring Shane over at every opportunity?" Valerie rose to her feet, fire in her eyes as Dexter tried to both calm her and keep a good grip on the baby. "Why is her son better than mine?"

"If you want that whole situation explained, you'll have to ask your grandfather," Lucifer said firmly, amazed that Dexter was not paying attention to any of this and just happily playing with his son, cooing and making faces. Yes, that was a good idea. He was keeping things that were supposed to be secret a secret and was relieved of the burden of any responsibility for this whole thing. It was brilliant, really. Have Dad explain everything about how Valerie's baby duplicity was obvious and that's why he would have no part of it. It was much safer that way. He then turned his back on a scowling Valerie to face his middle son and Cassidy.

"Noah, Cassidy, how are you two doing?" He questioned, glad to find a change of subject. "Lovely to see you two as always." Even though they lived in the same house now, more often than not, the pair often ate in their room with Willie and only came down occasionally to be with the family.

"Well, you _did_ invite her and I know you're always good to your guests," Noah huffed while Cassidy frowned and kicked him under the table. "A lot better than me cause apparently I suck."

"What makes you think that?" Ellie wanted to know.

"When a person proposes marriage to another person and the second person says 'No' it's not because they're happy and think things are wonderful, right?"

"What?" Ellie asked. "You proposed? When?"

"What does it matter?" Noah cried. "Didn't you hear me say that she refused me for some reason?"

"Don't play dumb, you _know_ the reason!" Cassidy yelled. "Why do you always have to make this about _you_ you big jerk? Why can't you think about _my_ feelings? And why do you have to ruin breakfast for these people?"

"You want to talk about this somewhere else?" Noah said. "Fine, let's."

"Fine," Cassidy hissed.

They excused themselves and strode out of the dining room. Once they left, the room was silent for a moment and then Ellie got out, "Those two are really meant for each other, aren't they? It's just a shame they have so much trouble with their feelings. I hope they work it out."

"Oh, I'm sure they will," Lucifer told her. "If Dad set them up, there's no way they'll be apart from each other for too long. Remember what happened when Angelica decided she didn't want Sammy? Anyone else she tried to be with _died_ until she finally surrendered to Dad's will."

"I hope no one will have to die to bring them back together," Ellie got out. "That would be such a waste!"

"I wonder who He has in mind for Lily-Eleanor," Vincent mused. "She's been with a lot of men, but so far no one has really stayed around very long."

"Maybe she'll find a nice girl," Lauren shrugged. "Who knows? Or she could just be one of those people who don't feel they need anyone. That's fine too. We'll wait and see, won't we?"

"I know this might sound kind of callous, but if Noah and Cassidy aren't gonna come back, do you think they would mind if I cleaned their plates?" Valerie asked. "I hate to see food go to waste."

"Go ahead, darling," Lucifer told her. "I don't think they're coming back."

* * *

"What is it that you want?" A huffy Valerie asked when Steve invited her to his house later. "I haven't done anything wrong. I'm trying to turn my life around and be a better person. I hope you're going to congratulate me and tell Dad to start being more supportive of my kid."

" _Is_ it your child, Valerie?" Steve asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, of course it is!" Valerie gave a nervous chuckle. "Who else's would it be?"

"You know you can't lie to me the way you can to your father," Steve told her. "And he already knows about your and Juliette's planned deception, which is why he's trying not to have anything to do with the boy."

"Okay, so I told a little fib to make Dexter happy," Valerie sighed. "What is so wrong about that? Why is everyone mad at me? I'm giving a baby a good home when his mother wasn't ready for him."

"Yes, but his father will be," Steve told her, his tone grave. "And when he finds out about his son, you best watch your back."

"Is he dangerous, my baby's biological father?" Valerie asked, feeling a bit of fear. "Is he...would he really try and kill me to get him back?"

"It's not going to end well," Steve shook his head. "This whole thing was not the best choice you could have made, even though I understand that you meant well and you weren't trying to be hurtful."

"Am I going to lose my baby?" Valerie asked. "Tell me, please!"

"Oh, my dear," Steve shook his head and hugged her. "You're going to lose a lot more than that, I'm sorry to say. But it will get better, I promise."

"It better," Valerie's eyes narrowed and she pushed Steve away. "I hate trying so hard to be good and then having it come back and bite me in the ass. I know it's bad to be good just to expect a reward, but it's not wrong to actually want happiness, is it?"

"No," Steve shook his head. "And you'll get it. Once you learn the consequences of lying that is."

* * *

"What a day!" Ellie commented that night, bouncing on her heels as she undressed for bed and put on pajamas.

"You seem awfully uppity for this time of night, Eleanor," Lucifer remarked. "Trouble at work? I noticed you had to go today even though things are pretty quiet on weekends. Do I need to step in?"

"Oh, no!" Ellie grinned and pulled a few punches in the air. "No trouble. It was...the Wrathful were doing boxing matches and of course the Greedy wanted to place bets, so..."

"You're not enabling them are you?" Lucifer asked. "Don't do it, Eleanor."

"I didn't place any bets, I _swear_!" Ellie assured him. "And I broke that up right away, but damn, there were some _really_ good fights going on."

"Maybe I should take you to a boxing match sometime," Lucifer remarked. "In fact, there's one next weekend that Vincent and I were going to but then he and Lauren had to do something instead. You could take his ticket."

"Really?" Ellie smiled and ran over to the bed, giving him a big kiss before climbing next to him. "I would _love_ that!"

This made Lucifer chuckle. "I know I shouldn't be surprised," he said, taking her in his arms and playing with her hair. "But sometimes I forget how truly bloodthirsty you can be, in all senses of the word."

"Oh, really?" Ellie questioned and kissed his hand. "Since it's such a turn on for you, I'd think you'd _never_ forget."

"You make a good point," Lucifer conceded as she began nibbling on his ears and neck. "I'm _terribly_ ashamed of myself."

"Well, you should be," Ellie said, and then bit down, slowly licking the blood up and letting out a sigh. "Damn, that's good," she got out. Then she looked at Lucifer apologetically. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Oh, no, dear," Lucifer shook his head and kissed her soundly. "You could never hurt me. Go ahead and have some more."

After she took her fill, she stripped off her pajamas and put her arms around him. "Take me before I fall asleep," she urged. "It would feel so good."

He buried himself inside her several times as he sucked gently on her nipples and ran his tongue around the inside of her belly, then turned off the light,

rubbed her stomach and whispered that he loved her as she finally dozed off.


	91. Here Comes The Brood

"Can we stop now?" Noah asked tiredly as she continued to refuse his marriage proposal and give him reasons why in great detail (without Willie present, of course). "We've been arguing about this for ages, Cassidy! And I'm sure that Roxie wants us to come pick up Willie before she closes up the club for the night. Let's stop, say we're sorry, and move on from this."

"No!" Cassidy yelled. "Not until you understand what I'm feeling because apparently, it hasn't gotten through that thick head of yours!"

"No, I get it," Noah told her. "You don't want to marry me because you think I'm a jerk."

"Yes," Cassidy nodded. "I do. And I have Willie to think of. If it were just me in this relationship with you, I'd probably be able to get past it, but with Willie in the equation, I just can't. His parents are dead and he needs a good male example so he grows up right."

"And I'm not a good male example?" Noah asked.

"Is that a stupid question or what?" Cassidy wanted to know. "Of course you're a terrible example! You're lazy and selfish and don't care about anyone but you! How is that being a good example? I _know_ you're teaching Willie how to play pool for money!"

"He asked me to show him," Noah told her. "He wants to be more fiscally independent."

"He's a small boy!" Cassidy cried. "He might want it but he doesn't need it! It's absurd! So here is what will happen now: I'll keep going on with the deal but outside of that, you keep your nose out of our business and don't try to ask for more than you're getting. Got it?"

"Loud and clear!" Noah shouted back and threw his hands up, trying not to show how hurt he was as he spoke. "But here's something you weren't expecting: You can just take your deal and shove it up your ass because I love you too much now to be with you when all it is is lip service because you want my money! If that's all you want, you can just leave! I won't be used like that! The deal is off!"

Cassidy then looked on in shock as he turned on his heel and strode off. This was definitely a reaction she hadn't anticipated, but if that's what he wanted, then so be it.

* * *

"What do you mean we're moving out of Noah's house?" Willie questioned her as she led him out of the club. He spoke between bites of the leftover brownies Roxie had slipped him. "I thought you were gonna marry him! Where are we gonna live? In your car? That's kind of small!"

"Oh, no, we're not gonna live in my car," Cassidy assured him. "We'll think of something. Now we have to get our things. Can't keep them with Noah if we don't live with him anymore. It wouldn't be right."

"Can I live with him while you go live somewhere else?" Willie questioned. "I don't think it's fair that you had a fight with him and now I have to leave when I didn't do anything wrong."

"You're a child," Cassidy reminded him. "And I'm responsible for you. Leaving you with someone like him would not be responsible."

"Fine," Willie pouted. "But I don't like it."

As they left with their bags, assisted by one of the security guards, they ran into Lucifer and Ellie, who stopped them for a moment.

"Where are you two going with your things?" Lucifer wanted to know. "You're not going anywhere, are you?"

"Cassidy and Noah had a fight because she won't marry him and now we have to leave," Willie told him. "But I don't want to. I want to stay here. I like it here."

"As you should," Lucifer said. "There's no reason you should have to go if you don't want to. We have plenty of rooms that are away from Noah's. You could stay here as _our_ guests and you wouldn't have to have any obligation toward him at all. Would that be acceptable, Cassidy?"

"Yeah," Willie looked hopeful. "Is that acceptable, Cassidy?"

"Well..." Cassidy bounced on her heels and gave it a thought. Privately she agreed with Willie. This was the best living arrangement she'd ever had and to leave it would be a pity. But she didn't want to start trouble with Noah. However, as Lucifer had assured her, she would be his and Ellie's guest and could have nothing to do with Noah if she didn't want to. That was reassuring, and enough for her.

"Okay," she said while Willie cheered. "Thank you, that's very kind."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all," Lucifer said. "We love having you." He gave the men directions to a couple of empty rooms closer to his and Ellie's and watched them go before turning back to his wife, who gave him a look and shook her head.

"What?" He asked. "I thought you would be proud of me for being so giving and selfless and really, how could we throw her out? Whatever is going on with her and Noah will not be solved by her leaving. Not when we know he really wants her around and is just being stubborn."

"Yes, I know, but I really don't think it's a good idea for us to be involved," Ellie told him. "You know, like how you yelled at me about getting my nose in Lee and Lisa's business and just making things worse. This could be the same thing. But of course it's okay if _you_ do it, right?"

"Oh, come now, Eleanor, don't be like that!" He called after her as she stalked away. "Why do you have to take everything so personally? This is about Noah and Cassidy, not you."

She slowed down to let him get close enough to her that he saw her give him the finger.

"That's really mature, darling," he told her. "Real mature!"

"Okay, fine," Ellie snapped. "You invite Willie and Cassidy to live with us behind Noah's back, but if anything goes wrong, it's all on you. I'm not taking any responsibility."

"Fine, but you won't need to because nothing is going to go wrong. It'll be fine," he told her, his voice full of certainty as his dark eyes locked on hers.

"Somehow I doubt that," Ellie remarked. "But, whatever."

* * *

Cassidy had planned to keep their presence on the down low for as long as possible, but Willie couldn't resist running to tell Noah about the change in plans.

"What?" Noah got out after Willie told him in a nearly unintelligible rush of words.

"Your daddy invited me and Cassidy to stay so we're staying!" Willie jumped up and down. "Isn't it _great_?"

"Well, I'm very glad to have you around, little man," Noah said, smiling and putting a hand on the little boy's shoulder. "As for Cassidy, I'm still not sure."

"I am!" Willie said. "You love each other but she's stubborn! It's so exhausting to explain it all the time." He collapsed dramatically on the sofa and Noah chuckled before he left the room and shut the door behind him, his expression becoming more severe as he went to confront his parents about inviting Cassidy to stay without warning him first."

"Well, good luck," Ellie sighed as Noah stormed in and she left. "You're on, Lucifer. I hope he doesn't kill you."

"Dad, what made you think you could just invite Cassidy to stay like that?" Noah demanded once his mother was out of the room. "You _do_ realize that she _chose_ to leave, right? And that she wanted to stay, but just so she could continue to take my money and give me nothing sincere in return? What was going on in your head?"

"You're under no obligation to either of them anymore," Lucifer told him, rising up. Noah was tall, but his father was still taller than he was. "I invited Cassidy and Noah to stay because I didn't want them to go back to live at the place where Willie's parents were murdered. It's not safe and I don't want to risk them being next. And I know you don't want that either! At least I hope you're not so mad about whatever you two fought about that you'd risk her and Willie's safety like that."

"Of course not!" Noah shook his head. "What sort of person do you take me for? But it's still not pleasant to have to stare at a woman who only thinks of me as a meal ticket across the breakfast table every morning. That really hurts! She literally said that she didn't want to involve herself with me emotionally anymore but would still sleep with me for money. Am I just...how do you expect me to feel about that? It really hurts to hear someone you truly love say that! I don't know how much I can repeat that."

"Does Cassidy know you truly love her?" Lucifer asked.

"She knows," Noah nodded. "I've made it clear. The trouble is that she doesn't actually believe it and thinks it's just a way to string her along. I don't know what else I can do."

"Well, that's why it's good she's in the same house with you then," Lucifer encouraged. "We'll find a way to clear up this misunderstanding, I promise you that, son."

"I don't think so," Noah sighed heavily. "But good luck with that."

* * *

"You're looking very lovely and fertile this morning, Eleanor," Lucifer remarked as Ellie came back from the bathroom to dress before they both headed for work a few days later. Though he knew he hadn't done anything wrong when he'd invited Cassidy and Willie to stay, he hated it when they fought, so he was doing his best to end the awkwardness.

"Thank you, I guess," Ellie said and gave him a look. "What a strange compliment. The fertile part, I mean. Not the lovely part. What's going on? You trying to make up for yesterday? If so, I forgive you, but I don't think Noah will so easily."

"Well, I was just thinking that between Shane and that little girl Lee and Lisa have, and baby one that Valerie told us was hers, I've been thinking that maybe you and I should have another one. What do you say?"

"No," Ellie said flatly. "I know it's hard to remember cause they grow up so fast, but I had twins not too long ago and I would like to give my uterus a rest, thank you very much. I have lots of clothes that like to wear that I can't wear when I get fat."

"Oh, but you don't understand!" Lucifer cried. "Your aunt and Elijah are back together and do you know how quickly those two reproduce? Even faster than we do, and I can't have that."

"Not a good enough excuse," Ellie said firmly, waiting until water was running from his faucet and using her magic to make it spray him in the face.

"I cannot believe you just did that," he hissed, turning on her as water dripped from his face onto his suit. In a fraction of a second, he had the shower turned to cold, picked her up, and stuck her whole body under the spray as she screamed.

"Cold, no, damn it! Cold! Stop it! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Just make it stop!"

"That's better," he told her, just as Dexter knocked on the bathroom door. "Everything okay? What's all the shouting? Or do I want to know?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Lucifer assured him. "Eleanor was starting trouble with me, but she's learned her lesson now. We're all right. Sorry for disturbing you."

"Oh, nothing you do really disturbs me anymore," Dexter reassured him. "I'm used to it by now."

Then she had a delayed reaction to something she'd only half-heard at first. "What did you mean when you said 'The baby Valerie told us was hers'? Who else's would it be?"

"Well, I didn't want to tell you at first because I thought it would worry you but now that the boy has been born, you should know," Lucifer sighed as Ellie dried them both off. "Father told me it was all a sham. That Valerie is still infertile and that she faked the whole pregnancy just to make Dexter happy."

"Wait...I don't...where'd the kid come from then?" Ellie asked. "If she didn't give birth to him? And how would this worry me?"

"The matter of where he came from is what might worry you," Lucifer said and pulled her close, picking her up so that her chin was resting on his shoulder and he wouldn't have to look directly in her face. "He's your sister Juliette's baby. She's been hiding the pregnancy from your parents all along because the child is...he is...the result of an affair Juliette had with some man she met and she doesn't want your father to know that his little girl has been doing shifty things behind his back."

"Oh, well that's not so bad," Ellie shrugged this off. "Who among us hasn't had a passionate affair that we knew would tick off our parents so we didn't tell them anything about it? I'm totally fine. Thanks for being concerned though."

She gave him a kiss and left and he said to himself, "You might not be concerned now, Eleanor, but if you knew who the baby's father was, you would be."

* * *

Sensing that they might have been too blunt with Sophia about what they were, Elijah and Selina decided to give the relationship another try.

"What do you want?" Sophia asked from inside the doorway after revoking their invitations to come inside.

"We just...we want to give this another shot," Selina told her. "We decided it's time for us to tell our other children about their new little brother and...well, we'd like it very much if you'd come and meet the rest of the family too."

Sophia's eyes widened. "You want me to jump right into the fire, don't you? How stupid do you think I am?"

"No one will hurt you!" Elijah promised. "We raised our children to behave themselves around humans, I swear!"

"What can we do to convince you?" Selina questioned. "At the very least, wouldn't you like to come see Scott again? I bet you would!"

"Damn it," Sophia said. "Just when I think I'm out, you pull me right back in! I can't say 'No' to seeing that adorable little guy!"

"Wonderful!" Selina told her. "How's this weekend sound? Would Saturday work for you?"

"Yes," Sophia agreed. "Saturday would be fine. See you then."

* * *

"Now, before we tell you what we called you all here to tell you," Elijah told his and Selina's large circle of children, "I just want you to know that your mother and I invited our human neighbor to stop by for a reason that will soon become clear to you. She's still a little skittish around supernatural creatures, so...best behavior, all right?"

"Why is she coming?" Asked their daughter Annaliese who wasn't quite sure why she was there. She hadn't been close to her father especially since he'd sent her away to boarding school to try and rein in her wilder behavior.

"Probably to watch our new little brother that they think we don't know about," her twin sister Maggie said.

"Wait," Selina got out. "How do you know that you have a new little brother?"

"Mother, look around," Their oldest son Gregory told her, amusement in his dark eyes. "Look at how many of us there are. If you two are back together, it's not incredible that there would be another by now." He paused. "Plus, Laura called and told us the second she realized it. And Katherine called me to warn me too."

"Sorry," Laura gave an apology that was not really an apology and grinned. "Did you really expect me to keep my mouth shut with that kind of news? The only person who's really gonna be shocked by all this is Grandpa Mikael, cause the last time you two got divorced, he thought he was in the clear."

"Oh, we still have to tell him, don't we?" Selina winced. "That'll be fun. I'll be mature about it though, I promise."

"I know you will," Elijah nodded. "I actually believe that this time." Then he said, "I'm so glad that none of you are truly shocked your mother and I are together," he told them. "And we promise that this time, it'll be for the long haul."

"We figured as much when you built her the house," Gregory told them. He seemed to have been elected the children's voice. "You don't build a whole house for someone if there's a risk you're just gonna break up tomorrow."

"So where's our little brother?" Their son Tristan called. "Or this new human neighbor?"

"There she is now," Elijah said as the doorbell rang. "Get Scott," he whispered to Selina as he headed to the door. "She'll be more likely to come inside if she sees him right away."

"Right!" Selina nodded.

"Everyone just stay back, give her some air, and wait," Elijah instructed his children. "Sophia knows there are a lot of you and I don't want her overwhelmed by the horde all at once."

Once Selina was settled by the door with the baby in her arms, Elijah opened it. "Hello, Sophia," he greeted her. "Welcome to our home again. Please come in and feel comforted by the sight of our baby."

Selina then gave her what she hoped was a comforting smile and then handed Scott over.

"Thank you for inviting me," Sophia got out as she cuddled him. "Oh, and I brought some wine. I know it's probably not the sort of stuff you're used to but I was taught not to show up at someone's home empty handed." She gestured at her shoulder bag. "It's in there."

"Oh, how lovely that your mama taught you manners," Selina got out and looked it over. It was actually a really good bottle. "We should crack this open! Thank you!" She did just that while Elijah took Sophia into the living room to introduce both her and the baby to everyone else.

"How do we want to start this?" Sophia asked as she looked at all the kids. "Who do I meet first?"

"I'll do the talking," Gregory smiled. "I'm Gregory, I'm the oldest. And these are all my brothers and sisters."

"Oh, there's so many of you," Sophia remarked. Then she looked at Elijah. "Is this like a Brady Bunch thing, or...?"

"No, no," Elijah shook his head. "They're all Selina's and mine together."

"Holy cow!" Sophia remarked. She had four brothers and sisters besides herself but the amount of kids standing in front of her plus Scott was probably at least twice that. "You and Selina must really like each other, huh?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I would say we do."

Laura then nudged her brother aside and he frowned. "I'm Laura. Nice to meet you!" She started to go for a hug, realized that Sophia was holding the baby, and decided to just pat her arm.

"Likewise," Sophia grinned, liking the bold woman who looked a lot like Selina. "I'm Sophia, by the way. I live next door. You probably were told that."

"Yeah," Laura nodded. "It's always nice to have new blood around."

Gregory then nudged her sharply as Sophia's eyes widened. "Don't make jokes like that. You're gonna scare her!"

"Oh, she knows I don't mean anything by it!" Laura got out. "Give her some credit!"

But Gregory was closer to correct and when Selina came in with wine glasses, Sophia quickly excused herself. "Scott looks tired," she said. "I might put him down for a nap."

"Good idea," Selina nodded. "I'll save a glass of wine for you."

When she was finally alone with Scott, she she took a deep breath and sat down in the rocking chair by his bed, locking eyes with him. "You're lucky you have such a nice family," she told him as he yawned. "You are the sweetest little boy! I wish I could just take you home with me, but your family would probably miss you too much if I did that." She kissed the spray of dark hair on his head, gave him a hug, tucked him in, and just as she was doing that, Selina knocked on the door.

"Wine before you go back into the fray?" She asked.

"Yes, please," Sophia nodded, gulping it down and casting the sleeping Scott one more look of longing before going to have another chat with his many brothers and sisters.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Charlotte asked Mikael as she came into the secret room she wasn't allowed in.

"I thought I told you not to come in here!" He cursed as his aim was thrown off and the dart he held went flying into the wall and not into Selina's picture where it was supposed to, the bullseye literally being Selina's eyeball. "Damn it, you made me miss! What's wrong with you?"

"I just heard a bunch of noise and I was curious if you had a woman in here," Charlotte mused. "But no, you're alone, of course." She stretched out on the sofa with her hands behind her head. "Oh, this is very comfortable. I like it very much!"

He picked her up and went to set her outside the door. "Well, don't get too attached cause you're never coming in here again!"

"And what'll you do if I don't listen to you?" Charlotte grinned. "Spank me?"

"Oh, don't even try it," Mikael got out, his breath picking up as he felt himself get hard while her fingertip ran down his neck.

She used this distraction to get around him and run back into the room, where she frowned deeply at the dart-filled picture. "Why are you throwing darts at this picture?" She asked.

"Because that is my enemy," Mikael got out. "I hate her and she ruined my life. The only consolation I have is that although she and my son were together once, he now has his hormones under control and the good sense to see her as the uncouth whore she is!"

"Oh, she's not that bad!" Charlotte shook her head, pulled the darts out of the photo, and looked it over. "I've always admired her myself. My son considers her a kindred spirit, and he's usually very good at figuring out the good from the bad, so I don't know what your problem is." She paused, watching Mikael fume for a few seconds before asking, "Would you introduce me sometime?"


	92. Holding Out The Olive Branch

"I just got another attempted call from Grandma but I didn't answer it, of course," Charlotte Junior told Steve Junior after poking her head through his bedroom door. "You know Dad told us not to go near her, at least not yet. But what if the calls don't stop until we do? Let's just get it over with."

"I don't want to," Stevie replied, his voice taking on a slightly deeper tone than usual, and his gaze becoming far off, as if remembering something that had happened ages ago. "Lucifer says she's crazy. He's told me that for years. In fact there was this one time when he and I went out to meet some women and..."

"Are you crazy?" His sister wanted to know as she raised a delicately arched eyebrow. "Since when did you and Dad go looking for women? And when did you start calling him 'Lucifer'?"

Stevie suddenly blinked. "Did I do that? I wonder why. My point is, let's just stay away from Grandma for now."

"Yes," Charlotte Junior nodded. "Agreed."

* * *

But that resolution didn't last long as, the next afternoon, on their way out of school, they were pulled into a black van, the door was shut after them, and the van sped away.

"What the hell?" Stevie got out. "Who the hell are you people? What the fuck is going on?"

"I don't think my ex-husband would approve of your using that sort of language," said their grandmother from the front seat. "He's already stopped your sister Valerie's bad habit. Do you want the same thing to happen to you too?"

"We just want to know who you are!" Charlotte Junior said. "Can't you tell us that?"

"Well, I'm your grandmother, Charlotte, dear," the woman replied with a smile. "And since you won't speak to me, how else am I supposed to meet you?"

"We were going come see you eventually," her granddaughter quickly reassured her. "We just have very busy schedules and need to find the right time."

"Save it," the older woman replied. "I know you're lying to me. Your father's turned you against me, hasn't he? Put poisonous thoughts about me in your head before you even had a chance to meet me and make up your own minds. That's not really fair, is it?"

"Well is he wrong?" Stevie countered bravely. "Are you truly an unfairly maligned victim?"

"I...I suppose not," his grandmother conceded. "But whatever I did, I had my reasons! And I've paid for everything I've done by being in Hell for years! Ask your parents and they'll confirm it! Can't we just talk a little? Please? I've gone to a lot of trouble and I don't want it to go to waste. I promise it won't be just the three of us. Your grandfather will be there too!"

"I don't know if that's more comforting," Charlotte Junior told her. "But since this is clearly so important to you, we'll come...if only to get the meeting out of the way. And you better not try and pull anything sneaky!"

"Like I said," Charlotte told her patiently, "Your grandfather will be there, and do you honestly think that I'll be able to get away with anything with his eyes boring into my back every minute?"

"We'll keep our phones in our sights just in case we have to call for help," Stevie told her.

"Fine," Charlotte nodded. "But you won't need it, I swear."

* * *

"Why did you have to bring the van, my dear?" Steve asked Charlotte warily as she and the grandkids came into the sitting room. "It doesn't make a very good first impression."

"She kidnapped us as we were coming out of school!" Charlotte Junior said. "Can you believe that? I'm surprised no one called the cops on her!"

This made Charlotte chuckle. "I'd like to see anyone try to call the police on the Goddess of All Creation!"

Steve winced and rolled his eyes whenever she said that because they both knew that she hadn't created anything at all. It had all been her sister but now was not the time to think of that. He had to get his grandchildren through this so that it ended as harmlessly as possible.

"Why don't you two have a seat?" He suggested. "Who wants tea? And there are cakes and scones and little sandwiches too."

"Well, that's fortunate, seeing as how I was deprived of my usual after school snack," Stevie said, sitting down in a chair and filling his mouth with tiny cucumber sandwiches.

"You're a disgusting animal," his sister told him. "Do you realize that? Take smaller bites!" She bit down daintily on her own cheese and tomato sandwich and then accepted a cup of tea with two lumps of sugar from Steve.

As they drank their tea and ate their snacks, Charlotte asked, "So...how's life? Tell me everything! I want details!"

"Oh, this'll be delightful," Steve sighed.

"Don't ruin everything for everyone just because you know all," Charlotte snapped at him. "Let them talk!" The she grinned at the twins. "You both look so much like me," said. "Please, go on with your stories."

"Do you have eyes?" Stevie asked. "We look nothing like you at all!"

"You don't know what I truly look like, do you?" Charlotte countered. "This is just a body I have to use to survive on this particular plane of existence."

"You have a point there," Stevie conceded. "Sorry about that. Anyway, as for how I'm feeling...I hate everything. It all sucks." He locked eyes with Steve. "I know who I used to be and I know who Amy used to be and it's very hard to get anywhere with her the way things are. She keeps telling me that I'm crazy and won't let me near her in anything more than a professional way, which really is not the way I want to treat the love of my life that I lost thousands of years ago. She'll like me if I have an older body. A hotter body. Make it happen, Gramps."

"Here we go again," his sister sighed. "More babbling about his ridiculous crush on Amy and the weird reasons he uses to justify it."

"Don't listen to her," Charlotte told Stevie. "Whatever it is you're going through, we're a hundred percent behind you. I'm sure your grandfather would be more than happy to help you find a way out of your troubles. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to suffer unnecessarily."

"Don't you promise him something like that!" Steve shouted, his jaw dropping a little. "You know I can't break the rules, even for my grandchildren!"

"Would _you_ break rules?" Stevie asked Charlotte. "Will you help me?"

"How are things going with you and Jeff?" Steve asked Charlotte Junior to change the subject. "I hope you like his house."

"Oh, I love his house very much," Charlotte Junior nodded. "Even though it's really yours. You have good taste!" She paused. "I know your goal is to have me fall for him and I kind of am, but I hope it'll actually go somewhere at some point and it's not just about him trying to _fix_ me. That's _boring_!" She looked at her grandmother. "It's not fair! He set me up with a really good looking guy, but he's a priest for heaven's sake and I'm not getting anywhere with him. It's like he just wants me to behave and not have any fun at all!"

"If I didn't doom your father to that sort of thing, do you think i would with you?" Steve pointed out. "Just be patient."

"You know that's not my best thing!" she huffed.

"I do, but it never hurts to learn a new lesson," Steve countered. "You'll thank me for it later."

Charlotte junior gestured at her grandmother, leaned in, and whispered, "Has he always been like this? If so, you're a saint for putting up with it for so long."

"All right," Charlotte smiled. "I like you. You're my favorite."

* * *

"All right, let's get this over with," Mikael grouched and pulled Charlotte out to his car after a few days of her nagging about wanting to meet Selina. "I know that if I don't do this for you, you won't leave me alone."

"Are you proposing another tryst?" Charlotte asked sarcastically. "Oh, you romantic you."

"No, of course not!" Mikael winced. "I mean to take you to meet... _her._ "

"You mean... _really?_ " Charlotte asked. "Do you know where she lives?"

"Yes..." Mikael groaned. "At the house my son built just for the two of them. They've been meaning to see me anyway." He scowled. "Apparently he hasn't outgrown her after all. He's more in love with her than ever. It makes me sick! I thought I raised that boy well!"

"Obviously you did if he's attracted to such a charming and charismatic woman," Charlotte agreed.

"Just get in the car," Mikael snapped, giving her a push and then speeding off toward Elijah and Selina's before she even had her seat belt on.

She tried her best to get buckled in, but at the speed he was going, that was difficult and she finally resorted to holding on for dear life, which proved difficult when they reached the gravel roads of the country.

"Thank you!" Charlotte cried when they came, mercifully, to a stop in Elijah and Selina's driveway. "We finally stopped. I'm not gonna die!"

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic," Mikael rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't have died. And even if you had, you could have just gotten yourself a new body, couldn't you?"

"That's not the point," Charlotte huffed and got out of the car, heading up to the door and knocking. Then she realized Mikael wasn't standing behind her. "Oh, would you come in, you big coward? I don't know what there is to be scared of."

"It's not fear," Mikael corrected. "But pure, unbridled hatred. You'll see! She looks good in photos but when you see her in person, it's just...she's repulsive!"

"Hello!" Selina chirped, giving a big smile as she opened the door. "Lovely to see you, please come in! I just made a fresh pitcher of lemonade and a strawberry pie if you're hungry or thirsty. Or we could get wine too."

"You _would_ be interested in wine," Mikael hissed. "Once a lush, always a lush. Good to know that hasn't changed."

Elijah, who was sitting at the table when his father said these words, froze and waited for her response. "Don't say anything stupid," he muttered. "Please. It's what he wants."

"Actually," Selina's cheerful voice responded back, "I'm sticking with lemonade because I'm still breastfeeding your new grandson and having alcohol in that case is a bad idea. I only suggested wine because I thought you might like it. It's always nice to have options!"

"Do you have a bottle of white wine open?" Charlotte wanted to know. "Or some vodka, maybe? I hear that goes really well with orange juice."

"We do!" Selina assured her. "One Screwdriver coming up!" She went to make Charlotte's drink as Mikael sat down and his son scowled at him.

"That wasn't very nice, Father," he said. "You always accuse her of being the one to start trouble, but she didn't deserve it this time."

"Just because she didn't take the bait once doesn't mean she won't if I try again," Mikael replied stubbornly. "She'll only be able to go so long before it gets to be too much for her and she retaliates. You'll see the _true_ personality of the woman you married!"

"Oh, Father," Elijah told him. "I've seen practically everything. You act like she's hiding something from me when I've seen her at her darkest, I've seen her at her most vulnerable, I've seen her at her best...nothing she says or does will shock me into leaving her so if that's what you're hoping for, you've come all the way here for nothing. I love her and that's that."

"Yes, but does she love _you_?" Mikael asked, sensing he was losing ground. "You've built her this house, but has she shown gratitude? Is she giving you your due as her husband? It was very good of you to take her in like this. If not for you, she'd probably have to prostitute herself or something."

"Now I know for certain that that is not true!" Elijah told him. "She has her own income. She's made many surprisingly good investments and had several businesses over the years. She doesn't need me to support her that way, especially since we haven't married again yet so I'm not technically her husband. She just needs love and emotional support like we all do and I'm more than happy to give it to her, as she is to me."

"Oh, dear god," Mikael rolled his eyes. "Now you're babbling about mushy love nonsense. What has she done to you?"

"Did you miss her saying you have a new grandson?" Elijah prompted to change the subject. "That's why we wanted you over here; so you could meet him."

"I hope he looks like you and not his mother," Mikael scoffed.

"Actually, I think he will look _exactly_ like his mother," Elijah responded. "And lucky him too."

Mikael finally realized it was useless to continue this conversation with his son because it was getting him nowhere. Instead, they both lapsed into silence and busied themselves with their drinks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Selina was giving Charlotte a tour of the house. Charlotte was specifically interested in what Elijah called "the accomplishment room" which contained all the awards and degrees they'd gotten over the years, some of which Selina barely remembered anymore.

"Oxford?" Charlotte asked, looking at the college name on one of her doctorates, but nothing else. "Wow, that's very impressive. What did you study there?"

"Oh, that was British Literature with some classes in poetry," Selina sighed. "That was for my mother. So we'd have something to talk about in case we ever got along. I've never told her about it, though." She grinned. "Britain in the seventies...good times. First time I saw Lucifer in more than fifty years. I was very surprised to see him again at all, considering why he left me in the twenties, i.e, the fact that I was way too clingy." She paused. "Of course I was a major drug kingpin at the time, specializing in opiates, so that's probably what brought him back. Not me personally but my stash. At least to start out with, anyway."

"That sounds like my son," Charlotte agreed. "Very much in things for himself. At least that's what he likes people to think."

"It was okay," Selina told her. "It wasn't like when I was Lonely Heart and looking for emotional connections but not getting them. By the seventies, I just wanted to have fun."

Charlotte shook her head indulgently. "No wonder my son was so interested in you by then. You seemed to be his sort of woman." She paused. "Did you have another bad parting after? Do I need to have a word with him about that?"

"Oh, no," Selina shook her head. "Once we reunited in the seventies, our friendship became permanent and we're still close to this day."

"Good," Charlotte nodded. "Wonderful to hear." She paused. "I know Lonely Heart was a bad period of time for you, but...I have to say that I admire you for it."

"You admire me for being an out of control murdering, emotional mess?" Selina raised an eyebrow. "What's to admire about that?"

"Well, you can't tell me that it doesn't give you a _little_ frisson of pleasure to know that you were so sly and so clever that you were never caught by the man who thinks himself to be the king of vampire law enforcement," Charlotte clarified. "I know that's exactly why Mikael doesn't like you."

"It is, but my success at not getting caught when I was venting has nothing to do with my own skills," Selina confessed with a blush. "There's really nothing to admire. If you want to admire someone for that whole debacle, go thank Lucifer. _He_ was the one who made it so I wouldn't get caught. I would have been too emotionally overwrought to do it all on my own." Then she grinned. "But yeah...it did feel nice to do what I needed to do to deal with all the hurt and anger I was feeling without worrying about the consequences. I won't deny that."

"I thought so," Charlotte grinned back.

They then continued the tour of the house and afterward, reluctantly went back to join Mikael and Elijah, even though they'd been having much more fun by themselves. The rest of the visit was Mikael throwing verbal jabs at Selina in the hopes of getting her to blow up while Elijah tried to distract him with his new grandson and Charlotte plotted just what she'd to do Mikael for trying to hurt her new friend when they got home.

* * *

"I have to say that I'm very proud of how you handled my father's visit today," Elijah told Selina as she nursed Scott that evening and Elijah stood behind her massaging her shoulders and gently kissing her hair. "He tried to goad you into misbehavior many times, but you didn't fall for it."

Selina nodded, smiling and blushing because his words meant so much to her. "Yes, because I knew that's exactly what he was doing and, well...I wanted you to be proud of me, so...yeah. Glad to hear you were."

Scott was done soon after and once he'd been burped, changed, and tucked in, Selina and Elijah left his room and headed to theirs next door. He ran his hands down her bare arms and looked into her eyes. "It's just us now," he said. "At least for a little while." He ran his finger over her bottom lip. "What do you say we make the most of it?"

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded as he pulled her close to himself and she felt him hike up the skirt of her night gown to touch her. "Please, let's do that."

He then stopped. "Sorry," he said. "Maybe I'm a little overeager. It could be that we're doing this too early. Is it too early? I don't want to hurt you."

"I didn't think about that," Selina confessed. "But I feel okay. Let's...let's take it slow tonight and if I still feel all right in the morning, we can go further."

"Fine with me," Elijah grinned and kissed her slowly. "I just want to caress you anyway."

"Go ahead," Selina told him and ran her fingers through his hair and kissed back. The he carried her to bed, running his hands all over her body, kissing her eyebrows, neck, cheeks, and lips, pausing regretfully to peer at her nipples before moving on because they were his son's territory for the moment, then kissing up her inner thighs and pleasuring her with his tongue. "Good," she muttered. "Oh, so good! Yes, yes, yes!"

After she climaxed and was catching her breath, he looked over her body again. She was gorgeous and terrific in bed, but also fiercely intelligent, creative, affectionate, and sweet. There were so many things to like. It was a shame that his father was too stubborn to appreciate the whole picture.

"I want you to know," he told her, "That I love more than just your body. I think you're very smart and passionate, and can do things with eggs and butter and sugar that I just...I have no idea how you do them. I...I'm very impressed."

"Thank you," Selina told him. "What made you need to verbalize that?"

"Well, I looked at all the children when they were visiting and it got me to thinking that maybe I take advantage of how sexual you are and forget to let you know that I appreciate the other things too," Elijah smiled. "So...I thought I'd point it out. Oh, and would you like to accompany me to a Van Gogh exhibit this weekend?"

"Yes," Selina grinned and pulled him close as he squeezed her tight. "I would like that very much."

* * *

"You're on time," He remarked when he opened the door and saw Lily-Eleanor. "Come in."

"Okay," Lily-Eleanor nodded. "Thank you."

Dog the robot dog rolled over to her then and let out a bark and did a flip.

"How funny," she grinned and patted the robot dog on the head. "He's so sweet!"

"May I remove your coat?" He questioned.

"Okay," Lily-Eleanor nodded. "Let me just put this bag down on your table first."

"What is that?" He asked.

"A surprise for you," Lily-Eleanor smiled. "I thought Dog could use a friend." She pulled out a box that contained another robot dog whose ears were pink.

"He is a robot," He remarked as they got her jacket off. "Dog cannot procreate."

"I know that," Lily-Eleanor nodded. "Believe me. But that doesn't mean they can't be friends."

He continued to study the new dog, which was just a toy that Lily-Eleanor had picked up at Wal-Mart. "What is this?" He asked her.

"It's a robot," Lily Eleanor said. "Just like Dog is. What else would it be?"

"This is not a robot," He told her, what sounded to Lily Eleanor like contempt in his voice, although she had to be imagining it.

Lily Eleanor frowned. "Usually when people give people presents, the person being given the present says 'Thank you'. Now, are we going to do this thing of yours or not? I didn't just come here to be insulted when I'm trying to do a nice thing." She then asked, "Can I have a drink?"

"I don't drink," He replied, his eyes locked on hers.

"Not even water?" Lily-Eleanor wanted to know. "You have to at least have water."

"In a glass?" He questioned.

"Well, duh," Lily-Eleanor nodded. "How else would you drink it?"

"Bottle?" He grinned.

"You smart-ass!" Lily Eleanor grinned back. "I _know_ you can drink it from a bottle. And you just grinned by the way. I've never seen you do that before."

He quickly sobered. "I do not grin, smile, or laugh. I'm not made that way."

"But you just did!" Lily Eleanor insisted. "How could you not realize that you smiled?"

He looked shocked and didn't know what else to say so Lily Eleanor quickly changed the subject.

"What was it you wante to study today?" She questioned after going to get some water from the tap.

"You," He told her. "Sit."

"You're not very helpful, are you?" She asked and sat down. "Can't you be more specific?"

"Math," he finally said. "Do you like it?"

"No," Lily Eleanor blushed. "I'm actually very bad at it. I need a tutor."

"I can help," He told her, cocking his head and studying her.

"You'd have to really be good to help me," Lily Eleanor told him. "I'm a hopeless case." She pulled out a pile of books and notes. "I have a test in three days and I don't understand a word of any of this. Numbers don't mean anything to me."

"They do to me," He said and began going through he notes and books page by page, and not missing a single math problem

"Wow," Lily Eleanor told him. "You really like math don't you? I'm very impressed."

"I'm good at it," He said.

"Yeah, I guess so," Lily Eleanor agreed. Then she finally suggested they take a break after she noticed some apples on the counter. "I'm hungry, can I have one of those?"

"Yes," he said and brought it to her, along with one for himself, both green. "I was studying them."

"Would you mind cutting mine up?" She requested. "I find they're easier to eat that way. Or I can."

"Please let me," He said. He began cutting Lily Eleanor's apple but then missed and cut himself, making Lily Eleanor let out a terrible shriek and begin opening and shutting drawers in search of bandages before he finally put a hand on her shoulder. "I am not hurt. There is no blood." He held the finger up. "See?"

She didn't look. "Would you stop being macho?" She groaned, shaking her red hair. "I swear, why men can't just admit when they're hurt..." then she trailed off as she got a good look at his finger. The skin had been torn by the knife and she saw a bit of wire underneath.

"What the hell?" She got out, grabbing his hand and looking closer. Then she blushed deeply as it hit her. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "You're an amputee, aren't you? This is a robot arm to replace the one you lost. I didn't mean to stare or make fun. I can't apologize enough."

He didn't respond, so in an effort to move past it, she apologized one last time. "I'm sorry," she said, standing on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I hope you can forgive me for my faux pas cause I didn't know about your condition before."

She then turned away and went back to her notes as He put a hand to his cheek. He'd felt her lips, felt her touching. It wasn't normal for him. He shook his head, came up behind her, and when she tilted her head back to smile at him, he kissed her forehead gently and then sat beside her to continue going over her math assignment.


	93. Shattered Illusions

Though she'd been so excited about the baby at first, the guilt Valerie felt about the lies, plus the knowledge from her grandfather that the family wouldn't last forever had made the whole experience hollow for her, though of course only she knew why, something Dexter actually came out of his Dad bubble to notice.

"Hey," he said as he watched her sit by the window and watch rain fall as he played with their baby's toes and made faces at him. "Wanna come and play with us? It might cheer you up. What's going on? You've been kind of down lately."

She turned and smiled at him, getting up to come sit by him and the baby. "Nothing, I'm fine," she promised and pasted on a smile. "I'm just a little tired that's all, because this little guy is so active! It's definitely not because I'm unhappy for any reason. Why would I be when we have the family we've always wanted?"

"Yeah, we do," Dexter grinned and took the baby in his lap. "But we really should come up with a name for him." He paused. "How about Joshua? Do you like that name for him?"

"Somehow I knew that was coming," Valerie said while trying not to scream internally. I knew that would be his name. I said to myself that Joshua was exactly the name his father would pick."

"But do you like it?" Dexter asked.

"Sure," Valerie nodded. "Why not?"

* * *

"Juliette are you all right?" Her mother asked her, making her way into her daughter's bedroom with a strawberry banana smoothie in hand, the only thing her daughter would eat nowadays. "I'm very concerned about you. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Juliette got out. She had bags under her eyes, which were wet from crying, and her hair was greasy cause it had been a while since she'd washed it. "I'm just...I'm not feeling well."

"If you're not feeling well then something is wrong, isn't it?" Her mother asked and put a hand on her forehead. "Your father warned me that there were some particularly virulent magic-connected illnesses going around and although I'm never exactly sure what your vampire side spares you from and what it doesn't, you could have caught something like that, even though you don't seem warm at all. Do you feel like you're going to throw up?"

"No, I'm just...I haven't been hungry, that's all," Juliette got out and took the glass. "Thanks for the smoothie. You can go now."

"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Sarah pressed. "Maybe you should take a shower and put on some new clothes..."

"Mother!" Juliette snapped. "I know you mean well, but please...please just go away!"

"Oh, well, all right," Sarah nodded, very confused by her daughter's unpredictable mood swings as of late. "I'll go. Take care of yourself. Feel better."

She left and shut the door behind her and Juliette put her pillow over her face and screamed. Then she took a swig from a six pack of beer she was hiding under the bed and just as she put it back, her phone rang. When she saw who it was, she groaned.

"What can I do for you, Joe?" She got out.

"I'm just checking up," he said. "I'm worried about you.

"Yeah, well," Juliette got out, hating herself as tears welled up. "You don't have to check up on me. I'm fine, thanks!"

"You don't sound fine," Joe told her. "Are you crying?"

"Maybe," she said, even though she knew full well he could hear it. "But it's...don't concern yourself."

"I want to," he said firmly, his voice full of love and concern. "Talk to me, Jules. Please."

The sound of his voice made her give it all up, the words tumbling out fast, even though she didn't want them to. "I was pregnant," she said. "And it's...hard. It's been really hard!"

Not remembering that he was the only person Juliette had ever slept with, Joe growled and said, "What sort of man would do that to you? Was it some young punk? Do you want me to kill him?"

"It's _you,_ you idiot!" Juliette reminded him, her voice equally ferocious through her tears. "You're the only man I've ever slept with."

Joe froze, leaving the other end silent. "You were pregnant?" He asked, his voice full of quiet shock. She could barely hear his question. "With our baby? Did you lose it?"

"It would have been easier if I had, but no, I gave birth," Juliette assured him. "To a boy. Your son."

Josh felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. He dropped the phone then when he picked it up again, asked her, "Why didn't you tell me this? Don't you think I deserve to know that I fathered a child?" He paused, thinking it over as it became clear. "Wait," he said. "When I found you outside that flea bag motel, and you told me that you passed out because you partied too hard. That was a lie, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Juliette nodded. "It was. But you don't understand. I have to lie! It's too complicated to tell the truth because my parents...it's very hard to explain all this to my parents."

"You think they'll be mad because you had a child so young?" Joe supplied. "It surprises me that you would come from such judgmental people."

"It's not exactly that," Juliette replied. "They had my older sister when they were teenagers so they don't have a lot of room to be critical, but..."

"But what?" Joe demanded. "He was beginning to get impatient. "What's the problem? Spit it out!"

"But the problem is you, okay?" Juliette yelled. "They'll be upset because the father of my baby is you! I don't have to tell you who my parents are because you already know them. And my sister too."

"No, I don't!" Joe cried. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

"My mother is Sarah," Juliette got out. "And my sister is Ellie. Now you know who I'm talking about, don't you, Josh?"

"Oh, fuck," Josh whispered, his cover blown. He went quiet for a few seconds and then asked, "If you didn't lose the baby, where is it? Where's my son?"

"I gave it to my niece, Valerie," Juliette said. "I thought it was the best thing to do at the time." She paused and waited for a response but heard nothing other than a click. "Hello?" She cried. "Hello? Josh, where the hell are you?"

But he had hung up. He was gone.

* * *

Growling in frustration, Juliette threw her phone down hard on the bed, and quickly showered and dressed, going to join her brother and mother, who were working on washing the lunch dishes.

"Hey there, sunshine, nice to see you cleaned up!" Elliot told her. "What can we get you? There's lots of leftovers!"

"I might just make myself a sandwich," Juliette got out and took a swig from her smoothie.

Sarah noticed that her daughter's eyes were still puffy and decided to take another stab at getting the reason why out of her.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "Why have you been crying?"

"You're not gonna believe this, but...Josh is alive," Juliette told her. There was no use hiding it now.

Her mother flinched. "Why would you say something like that?" She asked. "It's not very nice."

"Because he is," Juliette shrugged. "I'm not trying to play with your feelings. I'm just telling you the truth. I've seen him lots of times."

"How do you even know who he is?" Sarah questioned. "You were born after he was out of our lives!"

"He changed his name to Joe and he lives in a community for homeless demons and other supernatural creatures," Juliette said. "Well, at least he did before he decided to move back to his house."

"But Sister, that doesn't answer the question of how you recognized Josh," Elliot said. "We've never seen pictures. Dad made sure of that."

"Hannah showed me one of him when we were both at Lucifer's one day," Juliette explained. "That's how I know what Josh looks like. That's how I was able to know he was back."

Sarah's knees buckled under hear and Elliot caught her just before she hit the floor, guiding her to the safety of one of the chairs at the table. "How is he?" She breathed.

"He's fine," Juliette shrugged. "All things considering.

"Why did you wait to tell Mom this?" Elliot got out. "You should have said something right away!"

"You know why I waited?" Juliette yelled at her brother. "Cause it's not exactly the easiest thing in the world to tell your mother that you've been fucking her ex-husband, okay?"

"It can't be true!" Sarah cried. "I feel dizzy! I feel sick!"

"It'll be okay, Mother," Elliot reassured her. "Let me get you some water."

"Oh, it's true for sure!" Juliette confirmed. "Nice we have the same taste in men, wouldn't you say?"

Sarah choked on her water and Junior hit her on the back until she could get a breath.

"Okay, let's all take a breath now," Elliot said. "Now, the thing that makes this not so bad is that Juliette didn't know that Josh was who he was when they started the relationship." He looked at his sister. "You didn't, right?"

"You think I would have taken part in this Greek tragedy if I could have avoided it?" Juliette asked, giving her brother a look.

"See?" Junior tried to comfort Sarah. "She didn't do this to you on purpose! It was an accident!"

"That's another lie!" Sarah cried. "How long ago was it that Hannah told you who he really was? If it was a long time ago, you continued the affair even when you knew the truth!"

"Well, excuse me for being with a guy I actually love!" Juliette cried. "After the number you did on him, he deserves a good, solid relationship! Maybe I wanted to be Josh's family with our child! Don't you get mad at me for that!"

Then the look of indignation was shocked right off her face when she heard Junior say, "What did you just say, Juliette? About being pregnant with Josh's child?"

She turned and saw her father squeeze the bit of archway wall he was standing next to so hard that it crumbled.

"Daddy," she whispered. "Daddy, I'm sorry...please let me explain!"

"No," Junior growled. "I know you'll just make something up. I'm going to go kill him and this whole mess will be over."

At this, Sarah finally found her legs and voice. "Babe," she said and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's a bad situation and I'm not happy about it either, but killing is not the answer. Let's talk about this like the mature people we are."

"Screw maturity!" Junior cried. "That son of a bitch fucked my daughter and got her pregnant! There's nothing to talk about and no reason to appeal to!"

"Well, apparently not," Sarah got out and gripped him harder, a bit frightened by this show of emotion cause he was usually so logical. "You know that whatever happened here is more complicated than what your emotions are making it out to be."

"What happened to you?" Junior frowned. "You should be full of rage right now, but you're still defending him!"

"I'm not defending what he did!" Sarah said. "I'm just trying to get through this and still have our family getting along and being reasonably intact afterward. That's important!"

But Junior ignored this. "He'll always be between us, won't he?"

"Please let me explain," Juliette repeated. "Daddy, please!"

"Where is the child now," Junior demanded of her.

Juliette just began to cry so he grabbed her by the shoulders and said a little more forcefully, " _Where is the child_?"

"Sean, please don't hurt her!" Sarah yelled. "Take a deep breath, calm down."

"You're right," Sean said. He took a deep breath and looked down at his frightened daughter. "The child?"

"I...I gave him to Valerie," she got out. "It seemed like the best idea at the time."

Junior gave a barely perceptible nod and zipped out the open door.

A few seconds later, Sarah swore under her breath and grabbed her bag and car keys.

"Where are you going?" Elliot asked.

"I have to go to Lucifer's to stop your father from doing something impulsive and stupid," Sarah said. "I sometimes forget that he's got Warren male personality in him and especially when confronted by threats to the honor of people they love, it doesn't end well. Grandpa killed a man who threatened to have his way with Selina and Grandpa's dad, well...he literally challenged a man to duel when he felt that man had besmirched the honor of his fiancee, Elizabeth."

"And who won that fight?" Juliette asked quietly.

"Grandpa Albert did," Sarah said quietly. "But he was still very lucky."

"Let me come with you," Elliot insisted. "With you being in the shape you're in, it will be safer if I drive."

"And I'll come too!" Juliette decided.

"No, you won't," Sarah shook her head. "I think you've done enough."

"No, that's just it!" Juliette proclaimed. "I didn't do enough at all! Let me do this one last thing and if there's further trouble, I'll stay out of it, I promise."

Sarah sighed and let Juliette get in the backseat before they drove off to Lucifer's, hoping they weren't too late.

* * *

"Joshua!" Lucifer exclaimed when he opened the door to the latter's knock. He shouldn't have been surprised to see him, but he still was, a little. But he recovered quickly and smiled. "Nice to see you back among the living. Would you like to come in?"

"Thank you," Josh nodded. "You don't seem surprised to see me."

"Well, my Father clued me in on it, along with a few other things," Lucifer told him.

"Of course He did," Josh sighed deeply. "I should have guessed. "Can I have a double whiskey please?"

"Of course," Lucifer nodded. "With what you've apparently got coming, it's the least I can do."

He handed him his drink and then Josh asked, "How's Ellie bean? Is she all right? I hope you're taking good care of her!"

"She's fine and yes I am," Lucifer assured him. "Thank you for asking."

"Good, good," Josh nodded. Then he said, "I mean, totally fine. She doesn't hate me or anything?"

"She knows Juliette has had a child, but she doesn't know who the father is for the moment," Lucifer informed him. "I thought I'd let you tell her that yourself."

"Thank you," Josh got out. Then he started muttering about Valerie.

"If it will lower your rage level, I will have you know that even though my daughter went about this entirely the wrong way, her heart was in the right place," Lucifer told him. "Do you honestly think that in the state you were in, you could have handled a child? And Juliette is hardly much more fit herself!"

"You aren't making me feel better at all," Josh said, even though he had a tiny point. "Let's just not talk, okay?" He handed him the empty glass. "And get me another whiskey."

They soon found out that they were uncomfortable with silence, so they chatted about inane things until Sarah and company burst through the front door. Junior came in a few seconds later, just as Sarah was yelling for him.

The touch of her husband's hand to her shoulder stopped her mid-yell and then she caught Josh's eye and froze as Junior glowered beside her.

"Here you are!" He cried, striding over to Josh, taking the glass from his hand and breaking it, then holding the jagged remains up to Josh's face. "You have so much to answer for!"

"Don't!" Juliette cried. "Don't kill him for what I did! It's not is fault, it's mine! Blame me!"

"You're not getting off scot-free, but neither is he," Junior hissed without turning.

"No one is killing anyone!" Lucifer got out, separating Josh and Junior. "But..." he said, his devil eyes flashing in Junior's direction. "If you break another one of those glasses your daughter _will_ have to punish you. Do you understand?"

"Fine, sorry," Junior huffed.

"What's all this noise?" Ellie asked from the top of the stairs. "I heard my name."

Josh turned and smiled after rising to his feet and approaching the stairs. "Hello, Ellie Bean," he said with a smile. "You look good!"

"Josh!" Ellie said, smiling and bursting into tears as she took the steps two at a time and threw herself into his arms. "I missed you so much! I'm so glad you're okay!"

He carried her to the sofa and held her close until she stopped sobbing while Junior turned his back and gnashed his teeth. What was so great about Josh that the women in his life threw themselves at him? Wasn't he, Junior, just as good? What was it? What was he missing?

But all thoughts of his problems were erased when Valerie and Dexter appeared at the top of the stairs to join the party. Valerie held baby boy in a blue onesie in her arms, and Dexter's hand was on her shoulder as they descended.

When they reached ground level, Dexter smiled at Josh. "I'm glad you're all right," he said. "I was really hoping I'd see you again."

"There are lots of people I missed while I was gone," Josh said, still holding a sniffling Ellie close as Junior continued to fume. Then Josh turned to Valerie.

"I know you and Juliette didn't mean any harm," he said in what he hoped was a gentle voice. "But I know that's my son you're holding and...I'd like him back."

Valerie then shut her eyes and waited as Dexter's eyes widened. "What's he talking about, Valerie? My boy isn't his!"

"Actually," Valerie got out as hot tears ran down her cheeks and she went to sit down. "Actually, the baby is Juliette and Josh's. Not yours. not mine. I was never pregnant. I made it all up. I know I lied. I know I could have just as easily told you I was adopting a baby, but...I wanted you to have the whole dad experience. I was just trying to give you what you desired."

"I can't believe you would do this!" Dexter fumed, his face turning red. "I can't believe you would not only deceive me, but Josh as well! I would have been okay with being the father to an adopted child. It wouldn't have ruined anything. But this...it ruins all of it! I don't want to speak to you ever again!" He then strode off without another word.

Wrung out and sobbing, Valerie surrendered the little boy to Josh, who then headed to the door, taking a few seconds to lock eyes with Sarah while ignoring Juliette completely.

But Juliette wouldn't let that stand and ran after him, if only to get the last word in.

"I'm sorry about all this, really," she said. "I truly thought it was the best thing for us at the time." She watched him strap the baby into the car seat before he spoke to her again.

"Oh, yes? And what about the truth, Juliette? Don't I deserve the truth?"

"I'm sorry," Juliette began to sob, sinking to her knees on the sidewalk. "I'm so sorry..."

"I can't listen to this anymore," Josh scoffed, getting into the car, slamming the door shut, and driving off without another word as Juliette continued to cry alone on the pavement.


	94. A Heavy Weight Lifted

As two tear drops fell from her cheeks and into the dirt, Juliette growled and mashed the dirt with the toe of her blue sneaker and tried to make the swing she was sitting on work.

The outdoor play set Junior had built for her and her brother had become her refuge since everything between her and Josh had come to light. She couldn't stand being in the house because she'd have to endure either her mother's questions and pitying gaze or her father's frustration and unspoken anger and she hated both.

So she just stayed on her swing, swinging over and over and loving the feeling as she flew toward the sky, down to earth, and back again.

The swing set itself was an odd thing for a family of vampires. It was made of wood but had some sort of spell on it that would make it less dangerous should the twins injure themselves. The matching playhouse was wood also, with a sandbox on the lowest level, and a ladder up to the playhouse part, along with a yellow slide to slide down. Over all of that was a rainbow-colored tarp roof.

But the clubhouse and the two swings beside hers remained empty as Juliette swung and cried and tried not to think of her baby.

"Anyone sitting here?" Asked her father's voice, startling her as she looked up and he wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, it's fine," Juliette sniffled. "I'm fine."

"Really?" Junior asked and sat down on another swing. "You...I haven't seen you a lot lately, and I just...I wanted to see what was going on."

"Well, I know what I did...you know what I did...caused a lot of trouble for you and Mom so I thought both of you would be happier if you didn't have to look at me," Juliette muttered, not looking into her father's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," Junior sighed. Every fiber of his being wanted to shout 'Yes, you should be sorry! How could you sleep with that man when he already had his way with your mother?' but he knew that would be counterproductive and make him sound hypocritical and from the looks of things, she was already beating herself up enough without him adding to it. So, gritting his teeth, he tried to put his feelings aside and be supportive instead.

"It's not an ideal situation, I'll admit, but...I've been there before," he said. "We'll get through this. It'll be okay."

"How can it be okay?" Juliette cried out. "I can't be anyone's mother! What sort of mother just sees their kid and runs away?"

"Your sister did," Junior reminded her. "And your niece. And both Ellie and Angelica went back once they had time to wrap their heads around the whole situation. Don't beat yourself up."

"And you," Juliette added what he didn't want to. "You left and came back too."

"Well, for me, it was a bit different," Junior quickly corrected her. "I mean, I _did_ leave your mom and Ellie, but that was only after I asked them to come to England with me while I was in medical school and your mother refused cause she had to have everything be her own way."

"Oh, well, _that_ makes it better," Juliette sighed, not wanting to go down that rabbit hole any further. "Good for you for finally coming back though. And you do your best for Lexie and Emma too. At least you can learn from your mistakes."

"Yes," Junior nodded. "I did, and you can too. It's gonna be all right."

"Do you honestly think it is, or are you just saying that so I won't be upset anymore?" Juliette questioned.

"A little bit of both," Junior replied. "I just...it's kind of a hard pill to swallow."

"Why don't we just swing for a bit then?" Juliette suggested. "It might make you feel better. I know it does for me."

"Good idea," Junior smiled and reached out for her hand. "Let's do it!"

"I bet I can go higher than you," Juliette gave him a small grin.

"I bet you can't!" Junior challenged and got his swing going. "I bet you can't!"

They did their swing contest until they were both so tired, they fell to the ground, then, as they both sat in the grass, Junior took Juliette in his arms and muttered repeatedly, "It's gonna be okay. I promise it's gonna be okay..."

* * *

The sudden, loud chime of the doorbell startled Sarah enough to throw her out of downward facing dog. She cursed softly under her breath, got a drink of water, then pulled the door open, looking up in shock when she realized who was on the other side, blushing as she wished she was wearing something other than her skintight workout clothes that left little to the imagination.

"Josh, what are you doing here?" She asked. "Are you crazy to come here now? Don't let Sean see you!"

He gave her a hard stare, just until Sarah thought she would drown in that unrelenting and cold, dark gaze, and then he finally spoke. "Don't worry," he said. "I don't mean to come here and cause trouble for you and the love of your life. I just...I came to drop off Oliver for a little bit so he could bond with his mother."

"I'm sorry, who's...?" She trailed off and noticed the baby, who had an identical gaze to his father's, only his was more curious than bitter. "Oh, him. Right." She gave an awkward chuckle and reached out just in time for Josh to plop the baby in her arms.

"Would you like to come in?" She asked at last because even though it was awkward, she had to show good manners. "Sean's not here in the house. He's outside. I was being a bit dramatic before because of the shock of seeing you, you know."

"No, thanks," Josh told her. "I just came to drop Oliver off for a bit and...and to let you know that I honestly had no idea Juliette was your daughter before all this. I was as surprised as you."

"I understand," Sarah said. "What's done is done. No sense in making trouble about it now." She paused. "But tell me...if you're going to pursue this thing with her, it's because you love her for herself, right? Not just because she looks like me and you're trying to resurrect something that can't be anymore?"

"Your daughter may look like you, but I _do_ love her for herself," Josh assured her. "She's her own person and much more suited to me than you were, no offense."

"None taken," Sarah shrugged. "I mean, you're not wrong." She looked him over and sucked in a breath. "My god, what's happened to you, Josh? You look so...different. Where have you been all this time?"

"I just...it's hard to explain," Josh told her. "I was in another dimension. It was like Hell, but it wasn't. No light, no happiness, no love. By the time I got out, I had hardened. Everyone I loved was gone. I couldn't feel anything, positive or negative, until I met your daughter. She made me come back to life."

Sarah crossed her arms. "It sounds like you love her. Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Yes," Josh got out. "That's what I'm trying to say. I know it's bad timing. I know it's awkward...but I can't stop how I feel."

There was an awkward moment of silence and then Sarah told him as she cuddled Oliver, "You know I'm not gonna give you any trouble, but...Sean's not gonna like this. He'll undoubtedly make trouble for you. Are you prepared for that?"

"Yeah," Josh shrugged. "How he handles this is his problem, and not mine. Let him do what he wants. It won't change anything. Nothing you or he says about this will change anything. You've already ruined my life once; I won't let you do it again."

Sarah was about to protest this melodramatic statement but he didn't give her a chance. The second her mouth opened, he cut her off.

"Enough of this chatting, I gotta go now. But I'll be back to pick up Oliver later." He then slammed the door behind him, causing Oliver to cry and Sarah to take the baby to the rocking chair in the living room and try to calm him.

* * *

"So, you want extra cherries on your sundae?" Junior asked Juliette as they made their way inside for a snack. "Or extra anything? I know that always cheers _me_ up."

"Sure," Juliette grinned. "Just give me everything. I really need it." But thoughts of ice cream disappeared from both their minds when they saw Sarah in the rocking chair cuddling and cooing at a baby.

"What...who...is that who I think it is?" Juliette got out after coming to get a closer look.

"Yeah," Sarah nodded and got up to bring him over to her. "This is Oliver, your son. Would you like to say 'Hello'?"

"No, no," Juliette stepped back from him and ran back to hide behind Junior so she didn't have to look at the baby. "We're gonna get ice cream. I'd rather do that instead."

"How could you not want to bond with this cute little guy?" Sarah smiled. "It's not like he's gonna be mad at you or anything."

"I have no right!" Juliette snapped. "I...I let him go. He's better off without me."

Sarah and Sean shared a knowing look. "You wanna help?" Sarah asked. "You've been there."

"Way ahead of you," Sean nodded and took the baby. "Hi, little guy," he said. "I'm your Grandpa Sean and this is your mommy, Juliette. She loves you very much, but sometimes in life, people do what they think is a good idea at the time and it hurts people. But that doesn't mean they don't love them. She loves you very much, and she thought she was doing right by you when she let you go live with your...father." He choked out the last word. "But that's in the past and she's really here for you now." He then held her out to Juliette. "Now it's your turn," he said as both he and Sarah watched Juliette encouragingly. "Go on, take him. You can do it."

"Oh, I don't know," Juliette shook her head. But soon, Oliver was in her arms and though she was disoriented at first and nearly dropped him, she soon became used to his weight and his warmth. "You know, this isn't so bad," she got out. "Maybe...maybe I'll just...be in my room..."

As her parents smiled, she scurried off, using her magic to get the door opened and closed before sitting down on the bed and getting a good look at her baby. He seemed to be well cared for, and she was grateful for that. Nice to see that Josh was doing for him what she couldn't even begin to figure out.

"I'm sorry I left," she said. "But based on these cute little jeans and sneakers and shirt you're wearing and the fact that you seem to be a good size for a baby, your daddy is taking care of you. I'm only not because I wasn't ready. You were kind of a surprise. And you can't rush these things, you know? When you have a baby, you should really be ready for it. That's the responsible thing. But I _do_ love you. I love your daddy and I love you, Oliver, and I just hope you're lucky enough to be as wonderful as your daddy is." Then she chuckled, happy tears rolling down her eyes as she lay down on her back and set him on her belly, smiling as they looked into each other's eyes. "Who am I kidding?" She asked. "Of course you will be!"

* * *

Though Junior had put on a brave face for Juliette, that little bit of effort had sucked up every bit of control he had about the Josh situation and afterward, he'd tried to do everything he could not to think about how his daughter had given birth to a child fathered by his wife's ex-husband, including avoiding Sarah, something that was not lost on her.

"Hey," she said as he chopped up vegetables for part of dinner. "You gonna avoid me all day? I'm not used to that."

"We're not joined at the hip," he reminded her curtly. "If I don't want to be around you, I don't have to be."

"You don't want to be around me?" Sarah bristled. "Well, that's real friendly!"

"If you want someone friendly, maybe you should go see your ex," Sean got out savagely. "He seems pretty friendly, always sticking things wherever he wants without a thought for how it affects other people!" He was still brandishing the knife as he looked her in the eye.

"If you're trying to scare me, you don't," Sarah said and gave him a slap as the knife clattered to the floor and he grabbed her and bit deeply into her neck as his hands roamed all over her body.

When he'd taken his fill and she was resting limply against him, he put her over his shoulder and carried her off to their room.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" She asked, starting to come out of her foggy state. "You better not be doing what I think you are! You're not seeing me naked today! I'm too mad at you! You don't deserve me!"

"Hush!" He snapped and she let out a squeak as he gave her a spanking. "No talking!"

"You can't tell me not to talk!" She cried, her voice full of outrage as he got her to their room and lay her down on the bed. "You're not the boss of me!" She managed to get off the bed and run for the door, but froze as Sean beat her to it, blocking it without a stitch of clothing on.

"Oh, damn," she said, seeming to deflate as her cheeks flushed and she tried desperately to stop herself from being aroused. But it was hard cause he was built like Greek god. "I hate you, you know."

"Not for long, you won't," he said, bracing her against the door. "You wanna help me peel these off? It'll be quicker that way."

"Oh, just rip 'em!" Sarah cried, her eyes moving downward to his fully erect cock. "Who the hell cares!"

Soon they were both naked and he was holding her up, her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as he entered her over and over again and kissed her repeatedly.

"Yes, damn it, yes!" She cried. "Harder, harder!"

"If I go any harder, you'll just bang your head against the door," Junior panted. "Maybe we should move to the bed."

"Or the floor," Sarah told him. "That'll take less time."

"I'm not having sex with you on the floor!" Junior cried. "I'm better than that! What sort of a man do you take me for?"

"Fine, take me to the bed, whatever!" Sarah panted in exasperation. "Only you would want to pick a fight in the middle of sex!"

Junior chose to ignore this, carried her over to the bed, and tossed her onto the mattress.

"Thanks for the help," Sarah huffed, grabbing to mattress just in time to stop herself from bouncing off. "You're a real life saver."

"Shut up," Sean ordered and grabbed her again. He gagged her and cuffed her, and was soon filling her over and over again while nibbling and kissing her all over until finally, he removed the gag just in time to hear her shout his name.

* * *

Valerie was also using avoidance to cope with her own emotional upheaval, because it seemed that wherever she went in the house, there Dexter was, looking at her with cold and accusatory eyes, and not speaking to her at all unless he had to, and then it was just a curt, polite, "Miss Valerie."

Lucifer and Ellie hadn't know just how bad it was for her until, one day, Ellie was checking on those who were engaged in self-imposed Hell (which was in a separate area from those who had to be punished for being intentionally bad and not regretting it) and saw her daughter.

"Come here," she ordered one of the demons. "Does that look like Valerie to you?"

The demon looked at the television screen showing the padded room and the woman screaming and sobbing in anguish as both Lucifer and Dexter told her she was a terrible person for being a liar and that they would never love her again.

"Yes," he said and sucked in his breath. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"You know that since it's all in her head and she's probably just in her bed right now, there's nothing I really _can_ do by myself." She looked at it all again and tried not to cry. "Poor girl. I didn't know she was capable of letting herself feel that way."

* * *

When it was time for her to go home, she strode straight to Lucifer's office. "We need to talk to Valerie," she said. "She's in a pretty bad Hell loop. Any ideas about how to get her out?"

"If it's pretty bad, it'll be difficult," Lucifer sighed. "Although she did let me in to try and talk to her. Maybe Amy can do what we can't. Maybe she has a way to get us into Valerie's head."

"Let's do it," Ellie nodded as they both went to get their daughter. "This is an emergency!"

But any thoughts of getting Valerie to go anywhere were quickly dismissed. It was impossible to get her to focus on anything, and whenever they tried to touch her, she would just thrash and scream and try to hit at them, especially after she got a glimpse of her father standing over her.

"My goodness," Lucifer said. "Usually I don't inspire that kind of reaction in my children, so whatever I'm doing in her head...it must be bad."

"It is," Ellie said sadly. "It is. Well, if we can't get her to go to Amy, I'll just have to bring Amy _here_."

"I'll do it," Lucifer sighed. "My not being here might calm her down a little."

"All right," Ellie nodded and sat down on the bed. Once he was gone, Valerie allowed Ellie to take her hand, and at least for a bit, she seemed to come back to herself.

"Mommy?" She said to Ellie. "Mommy, is he gone?"

"Yes, he went to get Amy," Ellie told her and hugged her. "Whatever's going on in your head, we're gonna fix it."

"I want you to know that I'm not stupid," Valerie told her. "I know that it's all in my head, but it's really, _really_ bad! The way Daddy looks at me..."

"I know, sweetheart," Ellie assured her. "I've seen it. And he'd _never_ really look at you that way. He never would."

"Really?" Valerie sniffled. "Even though I _lied_?"

"He knows you were doing it for a good reason," Ellie told her. "He understands that."

"How's the patient?" Amy asked, pushing some of her red hair out of her eyes as she strode into the room. "Well, I know you're not well, but...I need to know how much I need to do."

"Well, when I'm with other people to distract me, I'm okay," Valerie said. "But when I'm alone, it gets bad."

"All right, just to be safe, we'll do the spell then," Amy told her. "It'll handle the problem quicker and more thoroughly."

"What will it do?" Valerie asked. "Will it hurt?"

"No, it'll just...get us inside your head," Amy said. "So we can interact with what's troubling you directly, instead of just watching you suffer."

"Okay, if you think it will work," Valerie shrugged. But she sounded doubtful.

"Rest on your back," Amy instructed. "Shut your eyes, and try to relax."

Valerie did just that while Amy did the spell, and soon, Lucifer, Ellie, and Amy found themselves inside Valerie's mind. The door out of her nightmare was clearly visible, but in front of it were Valerie's nightmares, seeming to fill up the tiny space as their taunting echoed off the walls.

"Oh, this is even worse than watching it!" Ellie shuddered and clung to Lucifer. "We have to make it stop!"

"I will, darling, but first, you have to let me go," Lucifer told her.

Ellie did and clutched Amy instead as Lucifer strode purposefully toward the figures of Dexter and himself and punched them both repeatedly. "Don't you say that to her!" He cried. "She meant well! Of course she made a mistake, but we all do. Sometimes the rules laid out for us aren't as easy to follow as we'd like and we have to...we have to make our own way, no matter how badly it might go. There's nothing wrong with that."

The figures then disappeared and Lucifer got down on his knees next to Valerie, who was still shaking and sobbing, her head buried in her lap. "It's all right," he said. "They're gone now and we're just going to walk right out that door." He gave his daughter his best and brightest smile as he offered her his hand, helped her up, and held her close. "You meant well," he murmured into her hair. "Did it go wrong? Yes. Is Dexter mad? Sure. But he'll get over it. You're a good girl, Valerie. You're a good girl, and I...I love you."

"You do?" Valerie asked. "As much as Angelica?"

"Of course," Lucifer nodded. "I know I don't say it as much as I should because it doesn't seem like you need to hear it from me like your sister does, but I do love you."

Valerie grinned and took his hand in hers. "Can we leave now?"

"Oh, yes," Lucifer nodded and gestured at Ellie and Amy. "Please. I don't want you here anymore."

They then went out the door and found themselves back in Valerie's room, only this time she was smiling as she hugged him tight, her body warm and mercifully still against his. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you!"

She hugged him a bit longer and then ran out of the room, striding through Dexter's open door as he glared at her. "What do you want?" He asked.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that what I did hurt you, and if you want to be pissed at me, that's your right. It has nothing to do with me, and I tried to do something nice, so I'm not gonna grovel and weep and be sad. I don't have to waste my life waiting for you. You'll come back when you come back. Bye!" She then left before he said another word, shutting the door behind her and smiling as a giant weight was lifted from her shoulders.


	95. The First Time With Gwen And Steve

Having heard during her dance classes at the gym about the whole Juliette-Josh-baby situation, and having no doubt that it was a difficult time for everyone, Ellie decided to brighten things up for Josh a little. It had been a while since her stepfather had returned and she just knew he needed some love and so did his son.

So she bought a big basket full of cookies and fruit and a giant teddy bear for Oliver, then headed to Josh's house, hoping he was home because she couldn't wait to give this all to him.

He opened the door immediately in response to her knock, took the things she held, and pulled her close to himself. "Ellie Bean, I'm so glad you came," he said into her hair. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Well, as you can see, I also brought some stuff for Oliver," Ellie blushed and smiled. "I know my parents aren't so excited about him, but I am. May I come in and see him?"

"Oh, sorry, of course!" Josh nodded, taking her hand and the stuff, and bringing her in. "I made some coffee, would you like a cup? And my father and stepmother sent a cake, which I cannot _possibly_ eat all by myself, so..."

"Sure," Ellie grinned and sat down. "I'd be happy to have a piece."

"I don't know what you like in your coffee," Josh remarked as he poured some from a pot into a plain red cup.

"Just milk will be fine," Ellie smiled and took some frosting off the chocolate cake, which was on a display plate in the middle of the table with her finger. "Thank you."

"Here you go," Josh said as he plunked it down in front of her. She noticed that it had a spray of whipped cream on top, along with a cherry.

"Wow, that's fancy!" She cried, taking it in her hands. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome!" Josh told her. "I'm gonna get myself a cup too."

"How do you like it?" Ellie asked curiously.

"As black as my soul!" Josh teased and gave her a wicked grin as he filled his own cup. "Mwahahahaha!"

"Oh, stop," Ellie giggled. "You're so silly!"

As they were clearing the dishes away after finishing their coffee and cake, Oliver woke up from his nap.

"Excuse me," Josh told her. "I have to go get him. He tends to get even crankier if I keep him in his bed too long after he wakes up."

"No problem," Ellie smiled and did the best she could to pick up the giant bear. "In fact, why don't I come with you?"

"What a good idea," Josh agreed. They both worked together to get the bear to Oliver's room, and when it was settled in a corner of the room near his bed, they tried to get him to play with it, but it was a bit of a tough sell in the beginning.

"He probably thinks it's a giant or something," Ellie said as she saw the baby eye it with caution. "Don't worry, little Oliver. It's a toy, not a monster. It won't hurt you."

"Yeah," Josh added. "Ellie's really nice. She wouldn't bring you anything that would hurt you." He went to sit next to it and with his father there, Oliver visibly began to relax, scooting across the floor until he could reach out and put one of his little hands on the bear's foot. He obviously found the texture soft and comfortable since he curled up right next to it and smiled.

"I think he likes it," Josh told Ellie. "Thank you."

"Oh, you're welcome," Ellie replied with a smile. "I have lots of kids. I know what they like. So nice to have this chance to meet my nephew."

"Geez, he _is_ your nephew, isn't he?" Josh asked. "I'm trying to forget that part of it and so are your parents. There'll be another blow up when your sister comes around and makes us a family of three, which I know she will, but I try not to think about that."

Ellie scoffed. " I can't believe my parents treating you so bad when you're the one _they_ screwed over! They have no right! I have half a mind to tell them where to go and how fast to get there! You're a good guy and my sister is very mature for her age."

"Yes, well," Josh sighed. "It's a tough situation for everyone."

"No," Ellie shook her head as she took Oliver onto her lap. "Don't take their stupidity on your own shoulders." She paused, coming to a decision. "You know what? Screw 'em. They messed up your life, they messed up mine...you're the only parent I've ever had who hasn't screwed me over in any way. I think I'll start visiting more often if that's all right with you."

"Oh, it's more than all right," Josh nodded, both surprised and not at this sudden venom his Ellie Bean was having toward her parents. "Come over any time. I could use the company and it's not like I don't have the room."

"Good," Ellie smiled and tickled Oliver's tummy. "Thank you."

* * *

Soon after one daughter left, another one charged through the door. "Daddy!" Hannah cried and jumped into his arms. "Daddy, you're back!" She began kissing him all over his face and squeezing him hard until Christopher pulled her off him.

"Give him some room to breathe," he said.

"He could disappear again!" Hannah cried. "I gotta savor what I can!"

"I promise I'm not going anywhere," Josh swore. "I'm here for good. How are you two? And Hannah Bear, you're still as beautiful as ever."

"In shock," Hannah said before Christopher could speak, pausing only to blush at her father's compliment. "We were skiing in Aspen, but when we heard you were back we cut our trip short and ran straight here! How long have you been back?"

"Not long, but...I have something to tell you, and you might not like it," Josh said. "You've heard of someone named Juliette, right?"

"Ellie's other sister? Yeah, I met her at Lucifer's one day," Hannah smiled and sat down next to him on the sofa with Christopher on her other side. "What about her? I like her, even if she _is_ related to that loser Sean Mom cheated on you with. Why?"

"You know, you look lovely," Josh smiled and repeated the compliment, evading the question. "Tell me, what shampoo are you using now? I like it."

"Thanks," Hannah grinned. "But it smells kind of girly, so I don't know if you'd like to use it. Now, what about Juliette?"

"She had a baby and gave him to Valerie to raise, but then his father took him back," Josh cleared his throat and hoped she couldn't see how nervous he was.

"So, why does this matter?" Hannah asked. "I mean, unless I'm supposed to be concerned because the father of the baby is a creep or a weirdo. Is he?"

"Well...I wouldn't say so, no," Josh shook his head and tried not to be hurt because, as he reminded himself, his daughter didn't know about his part in this. "I'm...there's someone you need to meet." He got up, and for the second time, got Oliver and introduced him to his daughter. "This is Oliver. I'm the father of Juliette's baby."

Hannah got a look on her face that Christopher knew well. He gripped her hand and whispered, "Breathe now, Hannah. Deep breaths. Stay calm."

Hannah made a few indignant noises, but before she could get out a full word, Josh put Oliver in her arms. He smiled his cute baby smile and she couldn't help but soften.

"Hannah, this is your baby brother Oliver," Josh told her carefully. "He's had kind of a rough start and it's not his fault how he came to be. Please be nice to him."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Hannah asked. "It's not like he did anything wrong. And he's so cute, you know?" She kissed his hair. "Geez, now I want one."

"Um, we're gonna have to talk about that," Christopher told her. "I don't know if I should be reproducing at all."

"Why not?" Hannah asked. "You're not the animal man who was raised in a cave anymore. I think you'd make a good father!" She gave Oliver to him and they immediately took to each other. "See, I told you."

Then she turned back to Josh. "Neither you nor Juliette knew who the other was when you started your relationship, right?"

"No," Josh shook his head. "Of course not. I have no idea how she found out."

"I do," Hannah sighed as she remembered that she had been the one to show Juliette Josh's photo and announce that he was her father and that his name was Josh. "It was me. We were talking and I showed her your picture, and...well, how was I supposed to know what was going on?"

"You weren't," Josh assured her. "It just was what it was and now we have to move forward."

"Yeah," Hannah nodded and looked at Oliver and Christopher. "I suppose we do."

* * *

As she was getting in her car to head home after a long day of work, Ellie's phone rang. Seeing that it was her mother, she answered it. "Yeah, Mom, what's up?"

"I have a request for you," her mother told her. "And it shouldn't even be anything difficult."

"Sure," Ellie nodded, thinking that it would be like asking Angelica to do a fundraiser for the gym or something innocuous like that. "Anything."

"Good!" Sarah cried, her voice full of relief. "Cause I really thought you'd fight me on this. I'm so glad you're willing to stay away from Josh now that he's back. He's already made things so difficult for your father and me...this eases my mind so much."

"Wait, you want me to stay away from Josh?" Ellie asked, realizing she'd made the decision to stay away from her parents just in time. "No! I'm not agreeing to that! Not when he was unwillingly pulled into some dark dimension and needs love more than ever! He's the only parent I have who has not screwed me over in some way. In fact, I told him that when I saw him earlier today!"

"Oh, but I think you-" Sarah protested.

"Don't tell me I'm wrong," Ellie snapped. "You and Grandma and Grandpa took good care of me, but we could have been in England with Dad all that time. We could have been a family and we weren't because you're selfish! Josh needs me now and you and Dad...you've got each other. So until further notice, you're not gonna hear another thing from me. Goodbye."

Fuming, she threw her phone in the passenger's seat, got in, and sped home, stalking inside and holding herself in such a way that it was impossible not to see she was in a bad mood.

"Still having holdover anger from a day of work?" Lucifer questioned. "Are you going with yoga or a bubble bath to fix it? And if it's the latter, may I help?"

"No, it has nothing to do with work," Ellie huffed and sat down, pouring herself a large glass of vodka. "I've decided that I don't want to see my parents anymore. No visits, no phone calls, nothing. They're treating Josh like crap and he needs a friend, so I pick him."

"I'm surprised," Lucifer remarked. "Picking sides in family squabbles usually is a lot more agonizing for you."

"Oh, not this time," Ellie shook her head and poured herself another glass after downing the first one, finishing that one, and then one more. "Can you believe the nerve of my mother? Asking me to stay away from Josh because his being around is hurting her and dad's feelings? For crying out loud, that is _such_ a childish thing for her to say! I tell you what...my mom has many good qualities, but sometimes she can be the biggest..." She didn't finish the sentence and let out a growl instead before going for one more glass.

"Can I ask you something?" Lucifer questioned. "This 'No seeing or communicating with your parents' thing...that only applies to _you,_ right? I can still see them?"

"Sure, if you want to," Ellie shrugged. "I won't make you pick sides. Plus, I know that Mom especially fills some need for you and that's really nice for the rest of us. Just...no talking about me, no helping her see me, nothing like that. Okay?"

"Okay," Lucifer agreed. "Our visits will involve nothing about you and everything about me. I can do that."

"Yeah," Ellie nodded. "I know you can." She stood up. "I think I'll go take that bath now."

The vodkas she'd downed had been large and she was tiny and swaying on her feet as she walked away.

"I might just come with you," Lucifer decided. "Wouldn't want you to slip under the water and drown, now would we?" That technically wasn't possible, but he still thought it would be best for someone to keep an eye on her.

"All right," Ellie nodded, grabbing him by his tie and pulling him along after her. "Whatever."

* * *

Ellie's rejection of their parents made the atmosphere at home very tense. So tense that Juliette was willing to swallow her pride and go see Josh and Oliver just to get out of there, even if it meant she'd have to see a stupid, know it all smirk on Josh's stupid, handsome face.

She left, taking a breath into her lungs as the tension of the house dissipated once she closed the door behind her. Then she got in her car and drove to Josh's, standing there and hopping from foot to foot for a bit before Josh opened the door and grinned at her. "Are you gonna knock or just stand there?"

"You don't seem surprised to see me," Juliette remarked, startled.

Josh pulled her to him, his breath ruffling her hair. "Baby, I've been waiting for you. I'm so glad you came!"

"I came for Oliver, not you, so take your paws off me!" She demanded and pushed him away. "We can't be a thing. Nothing can change. I don't want to add to the problems for my parents that Ellie already has."

Josh stared at her for a few seconds before pulling her to him, licking her ear, and then nibbling on her earlobe, which made her tingle between her legs. "Oh, but things already have changed," He said and cupped her bottom. "Whether you like it or not, they have."

He pulled her close against his body, his lips on hers, their tongues intertwining as his hands moved from her bottom, up her sides, then to cup her breasts as he braced her against the door, pulled her shirt down, and sucked gently on her nipples before giving each one a gentle bite. She didn't like wearing bras. That was one of the many things he liked about her.

"Oh, geez Louise!" she cried as braced herself against the door, nearly having and orgasm right there on his front step. "Oh, damn!"

They were both panting and staring at one another now. "I'd like to come inside now, if that's all right with you," she said. "I came...I came to see Oliver, remember?" If she didn't get away from him right now, she'd do something stupid like let him have his way with her right there against the door and that was just...no.

"Right," he said and gave her a spank and a push into the house. "Go ahead." As she walked away, he tried to calm down so that his cock wouldn't strain against his zipper anymore. But it was hard when he knew Jules was in the same house as him. It was really, really hard.

Juliette was not struggling with the same sort of thoughts, or at least it was easier for her to push them away, especially as she made her way to the nursery and saw Oliver. And of course she couldn't miss the giant bear by his bed.

"Well, look at that," she said and picked Oliver up. "Who got you that big thing?" He couldn't answer of course, so she just began singing nonsense and dancing around with him until she collapsed in the rocking chair in an overly dramatic fashion. startled when she heard Josh speak.

"You're a good dancer, did you know that?"

He was grinning from the doorway, which made Juliette frown. "How much did you see?" She asked. "How long were you standing in the doorway, staring at us like a creeper?"

"I don't know what you're so mad about," Josh told her as he advanced into the room. "Can't a guy just watch his son bond with his mother?"

Juliette blushed and rocked back and forth a few times. "All right," she conceded. "I'm sorry, I overreacted." She paused. "Where'd the giant bear come from? Did you get it for him?"

"No, it came from your sister Ellie," Josh corrected. "And she brought a really nice fruit basket too. The apples had caramel sauce with them."

"Well, that was very nice of her," Juliette remarked. "I'll have to write her a thank you note."

"Already did," Josh said and kissed Juliette's hair before patting Oliver's head. "We have a cute son, don't we?"

"Yeah," Juliette smiled and kissed Oliver's hand. "We do." She paused. "You mind if I stay here a bit? Things are annoying at home."

"You know, Ellie said the same thing," Josh remarked. "No problem. I'll go make up a bed for you." He paused. "Unless you'd like to sleep with _me_."

"I'll have my own bed for now," Juliette told him, knowing full well she'd probably sneak off to join him at night. "Thank you."

But after he was gone, the reality of what she'd just done hit her. "I can't believe I let myself get so carried away!" She whispered in panic, putting Oliver back in his crib and trying to sneak out as Josh was making her bed up so he wouldn't catch her.

But he did, just as she reached the door. "Where are you going?" He asked. "I thought you wanted to stay. I got your bed all made up." He shut the door she had opened and peered at her. "Were you just gonna leave without saying a word?"

"Look, I know what I said, but...I just got caught up in the heat of the moment!" Juliette tried to excuse her words. "I can't believe you took me seriously!"

"You know, you're a terrible liar," Josh remarked and pulled her to himself again, his hands roaming over her body, his lips over her face, lips, ears, and neck. "I know you want to stay. You don't have to pretend." He nibbled on her neck and a contented moan escaped her lips. Then she shook her head and pushed him away.

"I'm not doing this anymore!" She said. "It's too weird and complicated! If you want to have sex with someone, go see my mother!"

"No," Josh shook his head and pulled her to him again,kissing her soundly. "I don't want your mother. I want you!"

"Oh, tell that to my father," Juliette spat. "I'm sure he'd love to hear it!"

He growled and kissed her roughly, his new beard scratching her cheeks and chin. "Like I told your mother," he growled after, his dark eyes boring into hers, "I don't give a damn about her! And I don't give a damn about your father, either. All I want is you!" He tried to kiss her once more and she slapped him.

"You're not gonna get me," she said, trying to keep her breathing steady as she turned on her heel to walk back to her car. "Never again."

* * *

"You've been watching this since I went to bed last night," Gwen remarked one morning as she came in for breakfast and found Steve sitting in front of the TV and watching a 24 hour news network. "What could possibly be so interesting that you don't even take time to sleep?"

"I have to keep an eye on what's coming," Steve told her. "I can't miss it. If I turn off the TV, I might miss it! I could miss all the signs! This is a new thing for me and I don't like not knowing what will happen!" He was pale and had bags under his eyes, and when Gwen tried to give him juice, his hands were so shaky that he spilled it all over his lap.

"That's it," she said and turned it off. "You're getting some rest, no buts! I'm worried about you!"

"You don't have to be worried about me," Steve told her. "Remember who I am!"

"And remember who I used to be," Gwen added. "I know I don't remember a bit of it, but...we used to be the same. You used to..to really love me, so please... stop making excuses and let me help you. If not with everything, at least give me a chance to get your mind off your troubles for a bit since you can't even keep a juice glass still in your lap."

She sat on his lap to get the TV out of his line of vision and it was only then that he noticed she was wearing a blue negligee with a plunging neckline. "That...that's a very nice outfit," he said, his eyes straying to her chest. "When did you get it?"

"Not long ago," she shrugged. "I wanted to feel pretty." She took his hand and started kissing and nibbling on his fingers. "See anything else you like?"

"Not well," he chuckled. "It might be easier if you let me take that outfit off."

"No problem," Gwen grinned. "You can take off whatever you want."

He then gave her a gentle spanking. "Go on and wait for me," he said. "If we're really doing this, I have a phone call to make."

"What phone call?" Gwen asked. "You're not gonna call Lucifer to brag, are you?"

"Not to brag," Steve shook his head. "But for another reason. You don't have to worry about it, though. Just go on. I'll be along soon, I promise."

"Well, if you promise, then I guess I'll have to do what you say, right?" Gwen winked. "Can't go against your word, can I? Although sometimes I have to cause, you know, just because."

"You're sounding very much like your old self already," Steve grinned as he picked up the phone. "I'm glad."

"Me too," Gwen agreed and left.

Once she was gone, Steve called Lucifer.

"What, Dad?" Lucifer answered. "What is it that you want? This better be important."

"Oh, it is," Steve told him. "I think I'm about to have sex. Actually, I know I am, and I thought I would give you warning so you could tell others because of the, you know, consequences that happen when I, you know. No one's gonna die, but I don't want them to be unsettled."

"I don't know how much knowing the truth will help, but all right," Lucifer sighed heavily. "You go have your fun and I will assure everyone that any ensuing catastrophe is not permanent and no one will die."

"Thank you," Steve told him. "I really appreciate that, Samael."

"No problem," Lucifer got out, wishing he'd chosen to give Angelica this particular task instead. "Let's just not speak of this again."

They both ended the call with Steve trusting fully that Lucifer would do as he said, and heading to Gwen with no worries. She met him at the door and kissed him soundly.

"Phone call go okay?" She asked.

"Oh, yes," Steve nodded. "Perfect!"

"Good," Gwen smiled broadly. "Now where were we?"

"About here," Steve replied with a smile and kissed her, his hands roaming over her body. "And just to warn you, this _will_ be earth shaking."

"Oh, you tease," Gwen smiled.

"Who says I'm teasing?" Steve asked. "You better make sure you hang on to me."

Soon, they were both naked and rolling around under the sheets, kissing and touching and doing all sorts of immensely pleasurable things. And while Gwen did let out several cries as he entered her over and over, she didn't notice anything else. Her whole world was Steve, and that was it.

* * *

Not everyone else was so lucky, though. Just like Steve had warned, his and Gwen's encounter led to some very strange and alarming weather patterns that got Ellie all worked up.

"Oh, my god!" She yelled as the earth shook violently beneath her and she fell off her chair as several individual books and finally a whole shelf, fell to the floor. "Don't worry, Fishy!" She cried and dived for his fish bowl before it fell too. "I'll save you!"

It was just as she grabbed him that the sky outside her window became dark as she witnessed a prolonged solar eclipse. Then it began to rain. Really, really rain, before becoming really hot as what seemed like a couple of fireballs fell from the sky.

"What...what's all this weird weather?" Ellie asked, grabbing Lucifer by his collar as he strode into the library acting like nothing strange was happening.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Lucifer assured her. "It's just my father having sex. It'll be over soon."

"Oh, my..." Ellie's eyes widened. "Is this how like, The Great Dying and all the other extinctions happened? Because your father was having sex? Are _we_ all gonna die? Did the _dinosaurs_ die because your father was having sex? This is just great! I better get into Heaven for this!"

"You see?" Lucifer asked her. "This is exactly why I tell you to be careful about watching all that educational programming. It gives you anxiety. No one is going to die. Dad told me so. You will be fine and so will everyone else. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go tell your aunt. If she hates normal storms, this is probably scaring her to death." He paused. "Oh, and I don't think you'd like Heaven. They don't have boxing matches there and no one would call you 'Boss' or do a thing you said. Plus, I wouldn't be there."

"Well, to heck with that then," Ellie grinned and clutched him, kissing him soundly. "Where you go, I go."

"Good," Lucifer grinned. "Now I _really_ have to go call your aunt."

* * *

Selina was more than ready for the call. She and Scott were huddled in the bathroom while Sophia and Elijah were doing the best they could to control everything else so that there was as little damage as possible.

"Tell me you know what's going on out there!" She cried. "I'm stuck in the bathroom with Scott, which is pretty convenient, seeing as how I think I'm gonna pee myself from fright any minute."

"It's just my father having sex," Lucifer said, using the same calm tone he'd used with Ellie. "It will be over soon, and no one will die."

"Sure _feels_ like I'm gonna die!" Selina cried.

"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Lucifer questioned. "Have I ever lied to you? Especially about something that I know fills you full of terror?"

"No," Selina admitted. "You haven't. Thanks for...thanks for letting me know things are gonna be okay."

"You're welcome," Lucifer told her. "Take care of yourself."

"I will," Selina assured him. "Bye."

She ended the call and when the worst of the storm passed, Elijah finally let her and Scott out of the bathroom.

"Just what was that?" Sophia asked when she met them a few seconds later. "I wonder?"

"I could give you the answer but I don't think you'd believe me or like what you hear if you did believe me," Selina said. "Do you want me to tell you?"

"Tell me," Elijah said. "One of my Rembrandts is damaged beyond repair! And I got it directly from the artist too!"

"Lucifer said that what happened out there was the result of his dad having sex," Selina replied. "He must be done now."

"Oh, for the... _that's_ the best he could come up with?" Elijah cried.

"Well, you asked for the answer and I gave it to you," Selina shot back. "I don't know what else you want from me."

"Can I have Scott, please?" Elijah huffed. "He'll make me feel better. I'm gonna go be alone with all my stuff that hasn't been destroyed."

He stormed off and Selina asked Sophia, "Want a soda?"

"Yeah," Sophia nodded and followed her to the kitchen. "I think I do."

* * *

"Wow," Gwen sighed as she and Steve finally separated, rolling to separate sides of the mattress while they pushed their sweaty hair off their brows. "Wow, that was just...well, of course it would have to be amazing, wouldn't it? I've been blessed, haven't I?"

"Well," Steve grinned. "I don't want to brag, but...if that's how you feel..."

"The point is, I liked it," Gwen smiled. "Been a long time since I've _really_ liked it."

"Yeah I bet," Steve scoffed, thinking of Mikael. "Now he's someone else's problem though."

"You have a point," Gwen agreed and snuggled next to him.

Steve had been so eager that he'd only protected the area around him and Gwen from the consequences of what they'd done, something she was quick to discover when she turned the TV on again later.

"All the weird stuff that happened...was it because of us?" Gwen asked.

"Yes," Steve admitted. "I was so eager to do what we did that I didn't put up the safety nets that usually protect people from the effects of it all." He paused and then said hopefully, "but if it makes you feel better, no one died."

"That's good," Gwen nodded. "But before we do it again, you're gonna put up all the right safeguards, right? Because I just...I can't do it if I know it's gonna bring disaster every time."

"Yes," Steve assured her, looking her right in the eye. "Next time, all the proper safety precautions will be taken. Every single one."

"Good," Gwen said, putting her arms around him and kissing him. "I appreciate it."


	96. Needing Human Contact

"I don't know what's more comfy," Lily Eleanor remarked to He as they reclined on his sofa bed, her head on his chest as he looked over her math homework. "This couch or you."

"I can't be comfortable," He said. "I am not an object."

"You can too be comfortable," Lily Eleanor replied, lacing his fingers in hers. "Now, would you tell me how to do this problem again?"

He began to tell her how to do it, speaking so fast she could barely understand him and only stopping when the dog she'd bought suddenly went off without warning and began barking.

"Move your head," He demanded, and when Lily Eleanor did, he got up and kicked the Wal mart dog while Lily Eleanor looked on in shock.

"What if that had been a real animal?" She cried as he went back to her math book. "I can't believe you'd kick a dog."

He ignored her at first, but as she continued to glower at him and refuse to speak, he finally looked up into her stormy gaze. "Why do you look at me this way, Lily-Eleanor?"

"Finally!" She exclaimed and grinned. "I wondered how long I could look at you like that before you could finally see me! I mean, I'm still not happy you kicked the dog, but since it wasn't real, that's okay. You're okay." She smiled and he gave her a small smile back. "A-ha!" she cried and then got up to do a little dance. "You smiled! I saw you!"

His expression immediately went blank. "I didn't smile," he quickly refuted her say. "I can't smile. I'm not made that way."

"Will you stop talking so ridiculous?" Lily Eleanor demanded. "Okay, just what way _are_ you made then?"

He hesitated. "I can't tell you," he said at last. "I'm not supposed to tell humans." Wanting to get away from her, he then got up, put the math book on the coffee table, and went into the kitchen. Of course followed.

"Hey, if you're a supernatural creature, you don't have to be shy about it around me. I'm one too. I'm not a human. I can keep a secret!" She gently pinned him against one of the kitchen walls, her hands on either side of his face as she looked deeply into his eyes.

"Why do you look at me this way, Lily Eleanor?" He questioned her again.

"Because I find you...I find you very attractive," she admitted.

He continued. "Why do you put my face in your hands this way?" His head tilted.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I guess it's just...you're hard to understand and I just...it's a way I think I can get close to you." She paused and smiled. "Tell me, how did you get to be so handsome?"

"I guess they made me this way," he replied with a shrug as she let go of his face.

"Ah," she nodded. "Well, kudos to your parents! They did good!" She winked. "Let's go back to homework! It won't finish itself you know!"

They positioned themselves on the sofa bed in much the same ways they had before, him sitting straight, her on her stomach, her head resting on his chest. As he talked her through the math problems, she suddenly grabbed his hand, gripped it tight, using it to point at the different numbers in the book. "So if I add this number to that number, multiply it by that, and then add those two...I get the right answer?"

"Yes," He replied. Then he paused as Lily Eleanor began playing with his hands. "Focus," he said. "You're not focusing.

"But you have such nice hands," she said and kissed them. "Such nice fingers..." She kissed his fingers and palm and then surprised both of them by trying to kiss him on the lips.

"What are you doing?" He asked, putting his hand over his mouth and jumping off the sofa bed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, shaking her head as she asked herself the exact same question. "I thought, I thought...well obviously, whatever I thought was wrong, wasn't it?" Blushing furiously, she grabbed her books.

He was shocked. He was feeling things. He wasn't _supposed_ to feel things! He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what. He didn't even know why she was mad.

"I thought you didn't want to have sex with men," he said.

"Not...no, but I'm not made of ice, you know!" She barked and tried not to cry. She'd never been so humiliated in her life. "I need human contact just like anyone, even if it doesn't involve sex! You'd have to be some sort of _robot_ not to get that!"

"But I-" He tried to say.

"No," Lily Eleanor interrupted savagely, grabbing her stuff and striding to the door. "I think we've both had enough today. Goodbye!" She strode out, slammed the door behind her, and He sat down heavily on the sofa bed. He didn't get it. He didn't understand. Humans were harder to figure out than he'd realized.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean she doesn't want to see us anymore?" Junior demanded of Sarah. Since Ellie no longer lived with them, it was easy to hide that fact, but finally it all became too much for her mind and she had to confess.

"Well, for some reason, Ellie thinks we're treating Josh badly and that we ruined her life so she hates us," Sarah shrugged.

"He's turned her against us!" Junior raged. "He's poisoned her mind against us! If I could get my hands on him, I'd..."

"Don't hurt Josh," Sarah warned. "Talk to Ellie instead. Use your words. It'll end better that way."

"Fine," Junior nodded, his mouth a thin line. "I'm going to Lucifer's. And hopefully I'll come back with our daughter."

"Good luck," Sarah cried. "And don't do anything stupid!"

* * *

But of course Junior had every intention of doing something stupid. He intended on arriving at Lucifer's mansion and demanding to know where Josh was so he could punch his face in, but it turned out that wasn't even necessary, because Josh arrived there the same time he did.

"What are you doing here?" Josh asked him with narrowed eyes.

"Looking for you, actually," Junior replied. He looked down and saw that Josh was holding a box from Tiffany's. "What's that?" He demanded, trying to pull it away. "Who's it for?"

"It's for Ellie," Josh said. "Keep your mitts off it."

"Oh, so it's not enough for you to turn my daughter against me, you have to give her fancy jewelry too?" Junior demanded. They tussled, Junior managed to get the box away, and open it to reveal a beautiful watch inlaid with pearls and diamonds.

"How pretty," Junior drawled. "You probably stole this. I won't have my daughter idolizing a thief."

That was too much for Josh. His control broke, and he punched Junior in the nose, taking the watch back, grinning as his adversary momentarily fell to the ground, blood streaming down his face.

"Get up!" Junior yelled . "You're pathetic!"

"I'll tell _you_ who's pathetic!" Josh cried.

They continued to fight, and it didn't take long for it to come to someone's attention and soon, alerted by the guard, Lucifer and Dexter ran out to stop the fight and separate them.

"Okay, that's enough!" Lucifer shouted. "This is not the way to deal with this problem!"

"Let me guess," Josh spat. "You want us to use our words and be adults about this?"

"No," Lucifer shook his head. "That's what Eleanor would want, but fortunately for you two rascals, you're dealing with me and not her, so we're gonna do something that will help deal with these feelings once and for all." He paused and turned to Dexter. "Would you go get the car?" He asked. "We need to go to Eleanor's uncle's gym."

"I would ask why, but I've learned not to," Dexter remarked. "One car, coming right up. You think you can handle those two by yourself for a few minutes"

"Yeah," Lucifer nodded, his eyes turning red as he grinned and the other two men looked each other and swallowed nervously. "We'll be just fine."

* * *

An hour later, they had been suited up for a boxing match as an eager, and some would say bloodthirsty, crowd cheered in one of the main rooms.

"Do you really think a good idea?" Dexter asked. "You know Ellie won't be too happy with you when she finds out you pitted her father and stepfather against each other in a fight to the death."

"That's why she's not gonna find out, is she?" Lucifer told him. "Have some popcorn and enjoy yourself. Go and place a bet. You could make some good money that way. Ten to one odds on Josh to win. I put two hundred on him."

"Really?" Dexter asked. "But...but didn't magic create demons? So wouldn't Junior have the better chance?"

"Not when Josh has been around longer and has had more experience, but you can go with what you want. It'll be your money," Lucifer shrugged, took a swig of beer, and shoveled some popcorn into his mouth, turning his head back to the ring as Dexter heaved a big sigh and headed to the snack bar. If they were gonna be here awhile, he might as well eat something.

He lingered at the snack bar and by the time he returned, the fight was in full swing, with both combatants shouting about Ellie and how they had ruined each other's lives.

"And let's not forget about Juliette," Junior added, changing the subject and punching Josh so hard that his jaw ended up at a funny angle. "You soiled my baby!"

"Oh, grow up!" Josh yelled, even though it hurt him to talk. "She didn't do anything she didn't want to do. She's not your baby! She's a grown woman with perfectly reasonable sexual feelings that just happen to be directed at me!"

This earned him another punch in the face. "Don't you use that 's' word when talking about my daughter!" Junior cried as the crowd cheered and Lucifer groaned. "Just don't!"

Then he got a sucker punch to the gut that sent him tumbling to the floor. "Do you ever think of your wife?" Josh roared. "The woman you abandoned? The daughter you abandoned? You're a real prize, you know that? No wonder they like me more than you!"

"Sarah does _not_ like you more than me!" Junior roared as he got to his feet and pushed Josh to the ground. "What do you know?"

" _What_ about me?" Sarah's voice rang out. They both froze and turned, seeing Sarah looking back at them. "I knew you were gonna do something stupid!" She called.

"This was Lucifer's idea!" Junior told her. "He thought it would help."

"Did you really?" Sarah glared at Lucifer as the two of them went back to fighting. "And just _how_ did you think this would help anything?"

Lucifer gave her a sheepish look. "I just...they need to get their aggression out. Plus it's been awhile since I've seen a good fight. I couldn't pass up this chance." He chuckled. "Don't forget; sometimes I can be a very bad man."

"Yes, well, it's lucky for you that neither of them can die permanently or you'd be looking at a very unpleasant home life, wouldn't you?" Sarah questioned.

"Well, not as unpleasant as it would be if Eleanor was actually speaking to both you and her father," Lucifer reminded her. "Who knows how she'd feel about never seeing Junior again at this point?"

"As to that," Sarah remarked, "Could you do something? Make her see reason? Please?"

"No," Lucifer shook his head. "I promised her that I would have no part in this and you know I never break a promise, _especially_ not to your daughter."

"Well, I guess I respect that," Sarah sighed. "And you can't say I didn't try." She paused, sighing deeply as she looked at the boxing ring. "I have to stop this," she said. "I won't have them fighting over me."

"I hate to burst your bubble but it seems to be more about Eleanor than you, so why don't you shrink that head of yours a bit?" Lucifer suggested.

"That's real rich coming from you of all people," Sarah scoffed. "Just for that, you know what I'm gonna do?"

People then began howling in protest and throwing things as Sarah stalked down the steps and got into the ring to break up the fight. "This is ridiculous!" She yelled, putting herself between the two men. "I don't care who you're fighting over, it stops now! Do you hear me?" She frowned at Junior and grabbed his ear, dragging him out of the ring. "I told you not to do anything stupid, but did you listen? _No_!"

"Sarah let go, you're hurting me!" Junior whined.

"It can't hurt more than letting Josh punch out all your teeth!" Sarah pointed out. "I don't know what's going on in your head!"

"I just...I saw him and he had a fancy watch he was gonna give to Ellie and it made me mad!" Junior explained.

"I get it, but like I told before, beating the crap out of Josh won't help us get Ellie back," Sarah told him. "You remember I said that? Let's go home."

"Fine," Junior sighed. "Whatever."

Meanwhile, Josh found someone waiting for him too as he stumbled, bloody and exhausted, from the boxing ring: his brother Christian.

"Nice to see you, Brother," Christian said and gave him a hug. "You just got back and you're already fighting. That's...somehow I expected that."

"Really?" Josh panted. "I always think of myself as being under control, but when you've been where I've been, it's hard."

"Sounds like you could use some company," Christian remarked. "Why don't you come spend the day with my wife and I? Have a good meal?"

"That would be nice," Josh smiled as he was led out of the gym, along with everyone else in the crowd who were grumpy that the fight had been broken up. "You mind if I bring my son too? He's too little to leave alone."

"I know that," Christian smiled. "My wife has psychic powers you know. She told me. We'd be glad to have you both."

* * *

The sound of scratching and whimpering at the door brought Elijah's head up. "She's back," he whispered to himself. He went to open the door and a graceful wolf with startling blue eyes and dark brown fur strode through it, watching him for a moment, sneezing, and then waiting. It was Selina, in her wolf form. Now that they had the space, she liked to change and then run around for a bit at night.

"Hi," Elijah told her as he put his arms around her neck and they cuddled. "I love you so much, you're such a good girl!" He then looked her over. She didn't seem to be covered in blood, so she must've just gone to run around without hunting too.

Once he let her go, she rolled over onto her back like a dog so he could rub her belly. Once he did that, he locked eyes with her. "You better go change back now," he told her. "But next time I can, I'm coming with you!"

She made excited noises and then ran to the nearby bathroom. Elijah then waited outside to put a towel around her when she emerged.

"Seems like you had a good run," he said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Sorry you couldn't come. You know, sometimes, I forget that you're a werewolf too."

"I wish I could," he sighed and hugged her. "But being one with you around makes it better."

Selina sniffled a bit as she hugged him. "You really...I don't know if you truly realize how happy I am to hear you say that because the two of us being able to accept this part of me...part of _us_ and go through it together...I think that's so important!"

"Me too," Elijah smiled as she pulled the towel tighter over herself. "Me too."

"I'm gonna shower and dress now," Selina told him after kissing him one more time. "Be back in a jiffy!"

Just as she disappeared from his sight, the doorbell rang. Elijah went to answer it and found a grinning Klaus on his doorstep. One look at his brother made him grateful that Selina was off somewhere else showering. Not that he was insecure anymore, but still..."

"Hello, Brother," Klaus said. "May i come in?"

"Oh, yes, sorry, Niklaus, please come in," Elijah apologized. "May I get you a drink?"

"Well, look at you," Klaus grinned. "Selina's good manners must be rubbing off on you. Whiskey, please. And pour something for yourself so we can toast to your new future with...tell me what her name is again?" He winked.

"Ha ha," Elijah got out as he poured himself a glass of port and Klaus a glass of whiskey. "Aren't you hilarious?"

"I wanted to tell you how disappointed I was that you didn't invite me to that party you had for your neighbor the other day," Klaus told him. "I mean, I'm family too!"

"It was just a gathering of our children," Elijah said. "And despite the fact that I am the one who has done the most looking after you over the years, you are _not_ one of my children."

"Oh, I suppose you have a point," Klaus nodded. It was as they hugged that Selina emerged. Having heard Klaus' voice from upstairs, she put on a nice dress and some pink flats and had made her way downstairs at a dignified pace.

"Hello, Klaus," she said. "I would offer you a drink, but I see you already have one."

"Yes, the man who's practically your husband took care of me there," Klaus nodded. "You have a really nice place here."

"We do, don't we?" Selina smiled and looked around. "You can give your brother the credit, although one of these days I _am_ going to go furniture shopping."

"You know she's doing that, right?" Klaus asked, looking at Elijah and raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, it was my idea," Elijah assured him.

"Well, that's good because I never know with you kids," Klaus remarked, looking back and forth between the two of them. Then he gave Selina a look. "You wanna get yourself a drink and come sit? You don't have to stand there. I'm on my good behavior."

"Even if you weren't, it wouldn't work on me anymore," Selina pointed out. She poured herself a vodka and cranberry and joined the brothers at the table. "So, how are you? How's Sybil?"

"Sybil's...she's fine," Klaus said. "Christopher and Hannah were over for dinner the other night so that was enjoyable." He paused. "And how's Amy? Do you know?"

"We haven't...talked in a while," Selina admitted. "She's doing well for herself though. Taking care of Lucifer and all. Helping with therapy for all of them."

Klaus scoffed. "Wow, sounds like she's got her work cut out for her."

"My brother was telling me that he was upset we didn't invite him to meet Sophia with the children," Elijah told Selina.

"Well, if you want to meet her, we could get her down here now," Selina said. "She's watching Scott at the moment, upstairs. She enjoys doing that."

* * *

Sophia had just finished making a bath for Scott and was on her way to grab him and put him in it.

"Okay, buddy! Your bath is run! Let's get you in there!"

"Can I have a little longer?" Came a small boy's voice. "I want to play some more, Aunt Sophia. Would you hand me a fire truck?"

Sophia really looked and then let out a shriek when she saw not a baby in the nursery, but a dark haired young boy with blue eyes, aged about seven.

The sound of her screaming made him cry, and between her screaming and his crying, Selina, Elijah, and Klaus came running.

"What in the world is going on here?" Elijah asked once it got quiet. "What's all the noise?"

"That is," Sophia said, her voice shaking. "Look in there." She pointed into the room at the puffy-faced boy clutching the fire truck and wrapped in a blanket. "I don't know what's going on here, but..." She paused and looked at Klaus. "Hi, I'm Sophia, who are you?"

"I'm Elijah's brother Klaus," Klaus replied and shook her hand. "So you're the neighbor. Lovely to meet you."

Then as Scott began to whimper, he made his way into the room. "Hello, Scott," he said. "I'm your Uncle Klaus. Sorry we didn't get to meet before this. That's a nice truck you have there."

"Thanks," Scott told him. "Would you play with me?"

"Not until after your bath," Selina said. "It won't take very long, I promise."

"You're not scared of me?" Scott asked her.

"No, the doctor said this would happen, Scott," Selina told him. "It's okay. You're okay." As she led him off to his bath, Elijah tried to explain to Sophia about Scott's growth patterns while Klaus took her arm, led her to the kitchen, and asked her if she wanted a good stiff drink.


	97. Keeping You Close To Me

Though his daughter's delivery had been frightening and had, in a sense, cost his wife her life, the baby herself had come out of it just fine, as Junior had promised. Though she hadn't brought her parents completely back together, the room that was the little girl's nursery was situated between her father's room and a room her mother had moved into on her own cause there was no _way_ she was sharing a room with Lee.

"Oh, Leona," Lee said to her as he held his dark haired, dark eyed daughter in his arms and paced around her nursery. He spent a lot of time in the pretty pink room, but at times he knew Lisa wouldn't be around since he'd made such a fuss about Leona at first and he didn't want to get a lecture when he was actually doing the right thing.

"I know it's ridiculous," he told the baby apologetically as they sat in the rocking chair together. "I know it's crazy to lie and sneak around, but..I love you very much. What's going on with your mother and me has nothing to do with you. It's all her. She's the problem." He kissed his daughter's head, just as the door opened and a surprised Lisa strode in, starting for a moment as he tensed at the sight of her.

"What do you want?" He snapped. "I'm spending time with our daughter. Go away!"

"I don't like being in the same space with you," Lisa got out. "I just need a moment of your time and then I'll leave you be." She paused. "I have to say I'm surprised to find you here with her. I thought you hated Leona and wanted to stay away from her."

"Not so much her as you, when you were always with her," Lee snapped. "But when you're not near her and it can just be her and I alone, we have a lovely time. Which _you_ were rude enough to interrupt!"

"Did you not hear me say I just need a moment of your time?" Lisa repeated. "Or are you stupid?" She strode over, gently took Leona and put her back in her crib, and then got in Lee's face. "Ellie's library. _Now."_

Mentally, he still hated her...but physically, as she stood close to him, smelling like violets, her full lips in a very arousing snarl, it was very hard to remember that fact. They stared at one another, their breathing turning to panting as the temperature in the room seemed to rise.

"Would you let go of my coat?" He finally asked and pushed her away. Electricity shot through both of them and they jumped apart. "I thought we were going to the library so you could yell at me some more."

"We are," Lisa nodded and headed to the door. "I don't want to wait any longer."

Lee sighed and gave little Leona one last kiss before walking behind Lisa as they headed to the library. En route, his hand slipped and he accidentally gave her a gentle spank on the bottom.

"Hey!" She cried, whipping around and slapping him. "Don't do that!"

He smirked and they made their way to the library, but once the door was closed, he pushed her up against it. "Don't think i don't know why you brought me in here," he said. "Somewhere nice and private. You want to have sex! You can admit it!"

Lisa just gave him a look and started laughing, loud and relentless, until Lee had finally had enough, grabbed her, and kissed her forcefully, earning himself another slap, although, he was pleased to notice, that took a little longer to happen while his lips were against hers and her fingers were in his hair.

"I didn't bring you in here for that," she said after clearing her throat and pulling a large envelope from her purse. "Quite the opposite, in fact. I want you to sign the papers in this envelope so we can get divorced. I think this sham of a relationship has gone on long enough."

Lee burst out laughing again. She had to be joking. She couldn't be serious. Who in the world would want to divorce _him?_ But his guffaws soon became nervous laughter and shock when he opened the envelope and realized that she wasn't joking at all.

The papers gave him a paper cut as he pulled them out and even though it stung for only a moment before it healed, that was enough. "It is what you say," he told her, his voice slightly muted. "How could you?"

Lisa put a hand on her chest. "How could _I_? I'm just doing what you want. Setting you free so we can go our separate ways, since even though I meant well, what I did to bring us Leona is clearly something you can't get past!" She paused. "Just sign the damn papers so we can finish this and work on the custody arrangement! I'm gonna go see Leona!"

She stalked out, and he could hear her sniffling and trying not to cry, although she was clearly losing the battle. That had to mean something. He gave the papers one last look, threw them on the floor, then went to go see Lucifer. If anyone could get him out of this, or at least get him on the winning end of it, it was Lucifer for sure.

* * *

"Did you just come in here to pace?" Lucifer asked Lee from his desk after his son had barged in, full of nervous energy. "We _do_ have a work out room if you need exercise."

"No, no, it's not that!" Lee suddenly turned and Lucifer leaned back as Lee slammed his hands down on the desk that separated them. "I've...I've been served with divorce papers! Lisa wants to divorce me! Can you believe that? How do I make this go away?"

"I'm confused," Lucifer remarked. "I thought you two were fighting. I thought the child meant that you didn't want anything to do with her. Why are you so upset?"

"Because _she_ shouldn't be the one to initiate the divorce!" Lee cried. "I should be the one to initiate it! Since I was the one who was wronged, it's only right!"

"So you want me to stop Lisa from divorcing you so that you can turn around and divorce _her?_ " Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that ridiculous?"

"Well, I...um..." this wasn't the response Lee had expected and he had no idea what to say. He'd expected Lucifer to unquestioningly side with him. "Never mind."

"Sounds to me like all this fuss about Lisa means you want her back more than you want to divorce her," Lucifer said. "If she's in control, you'll lose her for sure, says your brain, but if you have the upper hand, it'll be easier to talk her out of it! I'm not getting involved in something so easily fixed. The two of you handle this yourselves."

"I can't believe you're siding with her!" Lee cried. "You want me to be unhappy!"

"First of all, I do not," Lucifer corrected. "I just don't want you to make a stupid mistake that could make you unhappy. If you want to be with her, just say so!"

"No," Lee shook his head and shouted after Lucifer as the latter left the room. "If she wants to leave, that's her problem and I don't want to stand in her way!"

* * *

Elliot said goodbye to his last client of the day at the rehab center, a kindly elderly lady who headed away with a cheerful "Bye, Handsome!" shouted over her shoulder, and got ready to go home for the day. His days were much calmer now, and on the one hand, he was grateful for that. But at the same time, no one had seen Ashley for a few weeks, not since her father's lawyer had mysteriously come and taken her out of rehab without so much as a word of explanation.

"And we haven't been able to reach her by phone, either," Jim added, worry in his voice. "I just hope she's okay!"

"One more day," Elliot told himself as he gathered up his things to head to his car. "One more day and if no one hears anything, I'm taking this into my own hands."

As he left the gym, he heard screams issue from the nearby alley. He followed them and nearly fell over when he saw an abandoned wheel chair that had been tipped over and then heard cries of "No, no, stop! Please, you're hurting me!"

"Oh, shit!" Elliot cried, dropping his things and breaking out into a run. It was Ashley and she was in pain! There was no mistaking that voice or (unfortunately), that scream. He saw enough of her to be sure of her identity, his stomach turning as two men beat up on her, then he sped over and pushed them both away from her, his fangs bared. He would have loved to torture them slowly, but there wasn't time. He killed them quickly and left their bodies on the ground as he held Ashley close, kissing her hair while she whimpered into his neck.

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered. "We'll get you to a doctor and everything will be all right. Your father won't be able to hurt you anymore."

She looked him in the eye and tried to speak. Nothing came out of her mouth but a few incoherent noises, and a barely intelligible "I love you," before she passed out against his shoulder. After trying to rouse her, Elliot put her in his car, driving home at breakneck speed. Hopefully his father would be able to handle this, however he had to do it. After all she'd been through, Ashley deserved not to die tonight, and to be tucked into a nice warm bed, surrounded by people who wouldn't do her any more harm. He got both her and her chair into his car (using magic to make sure it all fit) and then drove Ashley home to see his father.

* * *

"Mom!" Elliot yelled at Sarah when he and Ashley got inside. "Mom, please tell me Dad's easily reachable! We have an emergency!"

"Oh, my god, what happened?" Sarah cried, seeing her son cradling a bleeding and barely conscious young woman. "Was there an accident? Who's this?"

"Her name is Ashley," Elliot said. "We work together at the rehab center. Her father wants her dead and he hired two goons to beat her to death tonight, but luckily, I stopped them before they finished the job." He paused. "I thought of giving her blood, but if Dad can fix her without it, that's better. I don't want to bring her into the supernatural world until I absolutely have to."

"Of course," Sarah nodded. "You go tuck her into your bed cause that's closest and I'll go find your father. It won't take any time at all."

"Thank you," Elliot told her. "Thank you."

Not waiting another moment, he did as his mother said and tucked Ashley into his bed, talking to her all the while, even though she was barely conscious. "My dad is a doctor. He'll fix you, just please hang on for a little while longer!"

"All right, what have we got?" Junior asked, striding in with Sarah on his heels.

"She's hardly conscious," Elliot replied. "I saw her get beat up pretty bad and I saved her before she was killed, so that's good, right?"

Junior looked his son in the eye after checking her vital signs. "Good news is that I think it looks worse than it actually is. Once we get all the blood off her, she'll look better." He turned to Sarah. "Would you do that?"

"No, I will," Elliot said. "Let me!" He ran to the bathroom, grabbed a cloth which he soaked in warm water, and then gently cleaned all the blood off Ashley's face and body. Once that was done and she looked more normal, it seemed like his father was right. Her breathing was steady, her heartbeat wasn't erratic...if his father wasn't alarmed, then he wouldn't be either.

"Now she needs to rest," Junior remarked. "I'm gonna go get a sedative so she can do that, then I'll go call the center to get her father's number. He has to know about this."

"No, please don't bring her father here!" Elliot protested. "You do and I'm taking her to recuperate somewhere else! Her father is the one who's responsible for her being this way!" He followed Junior where his father kept his medical supplies and they paused the conversation while Ashley was given the sedative, and her wounds were bandaged, but then continued it after.

"We can't just keep her!" Junior reminded him. "Even if her father _is_ horrible. It's not our decision to make! We have to do what's right!"

"Your sense of what's right is really screwed up!" Elliot yelled. "Since you're gonna go call her father, I'm gonna go sit with her so she has someone to protect her when he comes."

"All right," Junior nodded, seeing that his son wouldn't be swayed. "You do that."

Elliot stayed at Ashley's bedside, his hand in hers, until she woke up. "Hi there, sleepyhead," he said and grinned at her.

"Are you crazy?" She whispered, very alert. "You should have just let me die."

"That'll only happen over my dead body," he said with a wink. "You don't have to worry anymore." But that didn't have the reassuring effect he'd hoped and she began to cry again. He took her in his arms and held her close. "It's gonna be all right," he said to soothe her. "You don't have to cry anymore. It's gonna be all right."

"Why do you even care what happens to me?" She sniffled. "I'm a terrible person! I'm sure lots of people would be happy if I was dead."

"I wouldn't be," Junior told her, one side of his mouth up. "I like the sort of personality that lots of people would call 'bitchy.' I find it awfully attractive."

"I'm sure you're just trying to make me feel better, but okay," Ashley gave him a small smile.

"You need your rest," he told her. "And don't worry about anything. Just sleep. I'll be here looking out for you."

* * *

He was still watching her sleep when there was a knock on the bedroom door and Sarah cautiously entered. "Her father is here," she said. "Just to warn you. And your father is bringing him this way."

Elliot nodded, leaning over Ashley's sleeping body protectively while baring his teeth. "Thanks for the warning."

It was then that Sarah was elbowed aside as Ashley's father made his way into the room, followed closely behind by Junior. When he spoke, his voice oozed fake emotion.

"Oh, dear me!" He cried. "What's happened to my dear Ashley?"

"She was beat up pretty bad in the alley behind the place where she's been in rehab," Elliot remarked. "I found her being hurt by two men who overpowered her pretty easily."

"That is awful!" Her father cried in that exaggerated, fake tone. "Who would do such a _terrible_ thing?"

"Well, I don't know much about who she associates with outside the rehab center," Elliot smiled. "But you do, don't you? Why don't you tell me of anyone you know who might have done this?"

"She's done a lot of drugs despite my many efforts to get her to stop," her father said. "Poor girl. She's had many unsavory associations because of that habit of hers. Perhaps it was connected to that. I'll go call the police to look into it for sure."

"You're lying!" Elliot cried and grabbed him so he was looking him in the eyes. "You tell me who-"

"Stop," Junior commanded and pulled him away before he could get the answers he wanted. "We're not gonna do it that way." He then looked at Ashley's father. "Sorry about my son," he apologized. "Finding your daughter in such a bad state has made him overwrought. My apologies."

"Thank you," Ashley's father nodded and straightened out his clothes. "Poor boy, I hope he gets better."

"Me too," Junior nodded. "Let me show you out. I think it might be best for me to look after your daughter her until she heals."

They left, and just before Ashley's father got out the door, Junior grabbed him just as Elliot had. "I saved you from my son," he said. "But if I _ever_ find out for certain that you had anything to do with what caused your daughter's injuries, you'll be wishing with all your might that I had let him hurt you because I'll hurt you worse! Do you understand me?" He then made him forget the threat, kicked him out of the house, and went to go see Elliot.

"He's gone now," Junior reported. "And since I said we'd take care of Ashley until she heals, I don't think he'll come back."

"So she's staying?" Elliot brightened. "We get to keep her? Good choice, Dad!"

"Not forever," Junior corrected. "Just for now. After she's better...then we'll see what to do next."

"It's better than nothing," Elliot told the still sleeping Ashley after kissing her cheek gently. "You're safe for now and once you're better...I'll think of some other way to keep you away from your father. You'll always be safe as long as I breathe. I promise, Ashley. I promise."


	98. The Eternal Struggle

"Okay, that's the whole bottle gone!" Stevie told himself with a burp as he put the empty wine bottle aside. "Now I can go talk to Amy. Now I can get her to believe me about us and Egypt!"

He staggered to her room and knocked furiously on the closed door. "Amy, let me in!" He cried, his words slurring. "I don't feel so good."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Amy cried as she opened the door and he fell into her arms. "What did you do to yourself? Let's get you to lie down..."

"No!" Stevie straightened up and pushed her at arms' length. "I don't need that! I'm fine! We have to talk about Egypt! We were in love! I remember it, why can't you?"

"Oh, dear, not this again!" Amy sighed. She could also smell the alcohol on his breath. "You're drunk and confused," she tried to calm him. "Let's sit you down and talk like reasonable people after I get you some strong black coffee and you drink every drop."

"No!" Stevie cried and pinned her against the door. They looked into each other's eyes, their breathing picking up. Then, he grabbed her and kissed her soundly, his fingers threading through her hair as she tensed for a moment and then kissed him back.

"Yes," he muttered between kisses. "You see? This is good! This is how it's supposed to be!" He managed to get her to the bed, and then they fell onto the mattress. He was on top and thought that since she was kissing him back, he could press his luck a little more. He pulled her blouse down and began kissing her neck and exposed collarbone and then went for her breasts, sucking each nipple gently.

"Oh," Amy breathed. "Oh, my god..."

Then he helped her pull her shirt and bra all the way off as he kissed her stomach and swirled his tongue around her belly button as he grabbed her hand and held it tight. Her body gave a small twitch soon after. A tiny orgasm, perhaps? Had he actually made her have a tiny orgasm? Well there could be more where that came from easily!

But as she felt his hand slip under her panties, she finally put a stop to it all. "Coffee!" She cried, sitting up and pushing him off her bed. "You need coffee! Enough of this!"

"Why?" Stevie groaned. "Why do things have to stop? I know I gave you an orgasm!"

"No, you didn't!" Amy shook her head and blushed. He had, but at least it had been a small one. "It was just...I was cold and shivering!"

"You seemed pretty hot to me," Stevie told her. "Your skin was warm against my lips!"

"Yes, well...never mind about that!" Amy told him. "You need to get out of my bedroom now, Stevie. You can have your coffee in the kitchen."

"Why do you always do this?" Stevie grumbled. "Is it because you see me as a kid? If I was older would you be more willing to learn the truth? Cause I can make it work and I _will_ find a way to make you believe me. I will." He grabbed her, kissed her hard, and then stormed out of the room, tripping over his feet once he got into the hallway.

"I'm okay!" He called. "No problem here!"

"Oh, for the love of-" Amy ran her fingers through her hair. "I need some air! I need to get out of here." And, stepping over Stevie, who seemed to find it easier to just lie on the floor then get up, that's exactly what she did.

* * *

In an attempt to pull herself back together after what had just happened between her and Stevie, Amy decided to take a walk downtown to a bustling market district full of fun little boutiques and restaurants, including a coffee shop she liked.

She made her way inside and was about to order when someone ran into her, losing their grip on their coffee, making it spill all over her new red blouse. She then slipped on some that had landed on the floor and felt two arms go around her to stop her from falling.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said a familiar voice. "How clumsy of me! I couldn't be more apologetic!"

She looked up into the eyes of the man who held her and they both looked at one another in surprise. "Klaus," she got out in a dry tone. "I should have known!"

"Amy?" Klaus returned, more genuine surprise in his voice. "I truly _am_ sorry. That's too pretty a blouse to be covered in whipped cream and chocolate." He grabbed a few napkins out of the dispenser and began to dab at the stain, especially the part of it that covered her chest. "Let me help..."

"Oh, just give me those!" Amy snapped and pulled them out of his hands. "You're not really helping!" She'd thought _Stevie_ was tough to deal with, but she hadn't reckoned on Klaus. She really hadn't.

He watched her clean herself off for a moment and then said, "Have you ordered yet? If you haven't, the least I can do is pay for your drink."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Amy shrugged. "It's been a long time. You probably don't remember what I like anyway."

"Well, I know I just spilled mine all over you," Klaus smiled and then turned to the young man at the cash register. "Two large mochas, please. Extra whipped cream, extra syrup. One for me and one for her."

"You remember," Amy smiled. "That surprises me."

"Of course I remember," Klaus grinned. "How are you, love?"

"Wet all the moment," Amy said as she continued to dab at her blouse. "But I can fix that. It's neither here nor there." She paused and began rubbing furiously. "Damn coffee! Why does it have to stain so bad?"

Something about watching Amy get worked up had always amused Klaus and in spite of himself, he let out a chuckle.

"Oh, I'm glad you find this so funny!" Amy cried. "I actually splurged to buy this! It's a designer blouse! You're lucky I can fix it easily or I'd be very mad at you!"

"More than you are now?" Klaus asked. "That's surprising."

Before Amy could respond, the cashier announced their mochas were ready. Before Amy could make a move, Klaus had paid for both and handed one to her.

"Please take it," he said. "It's the least I can do."

Since he seemed genuinely sorry, Amy gave in without further protest. "All right, thank you," she told him after putting a straw in the cup and taking a large swig. "It was very kind of you. Good night and have a nice life!" She made her way to the door, thinking that she would go to the store that sold purses next.

Of course Klaus followed her out onto the sidewalk. "What, no nice greeting for me? I remember you having better manners than that! Don't you want to even know how I've been?"

"I don't know that I need to," Amy said. "You look fine to me! I just...it's been a long day and I just want to drink my coffee and go look at purses, neither of which you need to be involved with."

"You want me to buy you a nice purse?" Klaus asked. "I could buy you a nice purse!"

"You already bought my coffee so we're even!" Amy said. "And you shouldn't be offering to buy me things! You're married! What would Sibyl say?"

"You think I'm offering to do this for you because I want to have an affair?" Klaus questioned. "Well, even _I'm_ offended by that!"

"I know how you operate," Amy countered. "Real emotion isn't your thing so when you want to woo somebody you buy them stuff. Pardon me for thinking you're trying it with me again. Why can't you ever just be happy with what you've got?"

"Fine, I'll change the subject," Klaus told her. "How have you been? Heard Lucifer gave you a full time job."

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "It's not so bad. Although his son's in love with me or delusional or something and I'm having a hard time talking him out of it." She sighed. "Then I made the mistake of telling Margot and of course she's no help! She's all 'a younger guy likes you! You should go for it'!" She sighed. "And I'm just not that type of person!" She paused. "I'm not sure _what_ sort of person I am since your brother wasn't enough and the thought of being with Stevie is too much..." She shrugged. "But I don't know why I'm telling you this. You probably aren't interested."

He pushed some of her hair out of her eyes. "Even though we aren't married anymore, I'd like to help." He looked around. "See any guys you like?"

"You mean now?" Her jaw dropped a little. "Klaus, for goodness' sake!"

"I just...maybe you need a...a tumble or something!" Klaus shrugged. "And since I can't offer, we need to find someone else!"

She got to her feet. "Well, this has been fun, but I'm gonna go." she told him. "Bye now. Have a nice life!" Then she strode off as he called after her, wondering if there was any place she would go where people wouldn't be trying to get her to have sex.

* * *

It had taken some time, but Scott had eventually convinced his parents to let him go swimming in the lake behind their house on his own.

"I wish I was bigger," he muttered to himself as he left his clothes in the stables and marched to the lake. "Then they would let me do whatever I want!"

And while he was swimming, he got his wish, emerging from the water as a soaking wet eighteen year old. His bathing suit had ripped, so he made his way back to the stables without anything on, pausing by the door as he heard Sophia talking to one of the horses.

"Hello, gorgeous," she told it. "I brought you some nice apples to eat! I think you'll like them!" As she fed the horse, Scott grinned and made his entrance.

"Hey, beautiful!" He called. "I'm here too! You got a compliment for me?"

Not knowing who the voice belonged to, Sophia turned around and let out a surprised gasp as she dropped the apple basket and red and green apples went rolling in all directions.

Scott continued to stride toward her, light in his blue eyes and smirk on his face, as her gaze roamed over his body, not missing a thing. "I'm Scott, by the way," he said. "I bet you didn't know that."

This made Sophia turn deep red and cover her eyes. "Scott? Little Scott? Well, you're not so little anymore, but...Oh, geez, what am I saying?" She turned away. "Cover yourself up!" She commanded. "Where the hell are your clothes?"

"Right here," Scott told her, picking up his smaller shirt and jeans. "But as you can see, since I was smaller when I went into the lake, they don't fit anymore." He grinned. "Because, as you noted, I'm _much bigger_ now in lots of ways."

"Well, okay whatever," Sophia waved her hands and pulled out a horse blanket. "Just take this and cover your lower parts with it before I have to poke out my eyes from shame!"

"My lower parts?" Scott grinned wider. "You know it's called a penis, right? You can say that. Say it with me!"

"Oh, just stop!" Sophia kept her back to him, trying to ignore his chuckling. She waited a few minutes and then finally asked, "Are you covered up?"

"Yeah, Blondie," Scott assured her. "You can turn around and see for yourself. I'm not shy."

Sophia turned around, her hands still over her eyes before cautiously peeking through her fingers. When she was sure he was indeed fully covered by the blanket, she finally lowered her hands. "Thanks," she told him. "That's much better."

"You handled that better than last time," Scott remarked. "Good for you."

Sophia made a face at him and then reached a hand out toward his bare chest. "I can't believe this is how you look now. I don't understand how that is at all."

"You mean you don't like all this?" Scott asked, gesturing at his body.

"Why should it matter what I like?" Sophia asked, eyes averted cause she liked it a lot and didn't want him to know that. "And even if I didn't, it's not like we could change it, now could we?"

"You make a good point," Scott admitted and ran his fingers through his dark hair, making it adorably tousled. "So...whatcha doin'?"

"Just...I was just looking after the horses and giving them apples," Sophia explained.

Scott approached the basket, which now only had two apples, a yellow and a red, and took one, brushing against Sophia as he did so. She sucked in her breath as he bit into the fruit, juice dribbling down his chin. She'd never felt what she was feeling now when watching a man eat fruit before and it was weird.

"Not bad," he said through a full mouth. "Awfully good, actually."

"How long since you left to go swimming?" Sophia questioned to distract herself. "You should probably go see your parents so they know what you turned into and don't think you drowned."

"And just what did I turn into?" Scott asked with a smirk. "A handsome young man? You can say it. I know you think it. I can see it in your eyes when you actually get brave enough to look at me."

"I meant you should tell them that you're grown up," Sophia corrected. "That's all I meant. Go see them now."

"All right," he winked. "I will, but then I'll be back. I hope you'll wait for me." Then he sauntered off, and once he was gone, Sophia sat down, put her head in her hands, and wondered just what she was gonna do about him.


	99. Planning For An Invasion

One weekend, He was walking with Dog around campus, making several rounds by Lily-Eleanor's usual bench. He hadn't seen her around campus in a while and whenever he tried to call her, she wouldn't answer. He was beginning to worry.

When it became clear that she wasn't going to be anywhere near the bench, he went to the front of one of the English buildings where he knew people liked to congregate to eat and talk, and to his surprise, there was Lily-Eleanor, surrounded by men, laughing and talking and seeming like she was having a wonderful time. This was odd to him because their previous interactions had him thinking she was more of a solitary example of her kind, a kindred spirit for him. But now she was avoiding him completely. Had he done something wrong?

Carefully, he approached the group and cleared his throat. "Come with me," he said to her. "We have to talk."

She looked back and forth between him and her group of eager admirers. "Will this take long?" She asked. "I'm busy at the moment!"

"Come now," he insisted, holding out his hand.

"Fine," she sighed deeply, kissing one of the men. It was more than a peck. "Just wait for me, please," she implored. "I'm sure this won't take very long." She then glared at He. "At least I hope it won't." She then slapped his hand away and followed him away from the group.

"What do you want?" She whispered. "Can't you see I'm busy? How many times do I have to say it before you get the point?"

"What's wrong?" He asked, tilting his head. "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," Lily Eleanor told him. "You didn't do anything wrong, but...we...I need space. We'll see each other on campus from time to time, though. Say 'Hello' to one another as we pass."

She tried to sound confidant, but He picked up on a slight wobble in her voice and noticed she was wringing her hands. She wasn't as sure about what she was saying as she wanted to be.

"Your hands are shaking," He remarked.

She smiled awkwardly and shoved her hands in her jeans pockets. "No they aren't," she said. "I have to go now, goodbye."

As she turned, he actually reached out and gently touched her arm. "They won't make you happy," he said.

She paused and then pulled away, leaving.

He watched her go, then went on his own way, freezing as a man approached him. Or not really a man. A silver and black robot, who eyed He with what would have been a severe expression if robots could look severe.

"Here you are," he said firmly. "Optimus wants to see you. Come with me."

"But I-" He started to protest.

The other robot grabbed him. "You're coming with me now," he said.

* * *

"There," Selina remarked with a smile as she put a spray of whipped cream on top of her coffee and then went to perch on one of the stools on either side of the island in the middle of the kitchen to drink it. "Ahhh, that's good!" She paused as Elijah came in. "You want a drink?" She asked as he said down with a groan. "I just made coffee."

"That would be nice, thank you," Elijah nodded. "I'm just on a break. I'm gonna have a drink, go change my shirt, and then go back to working with the horses."

"If there's anything I can do, please tell me," Selina remarked and sat a strawberry lemonade down in front of him and then handed him an ice cube. "Run that down your neck. It'll help."

She watched him do this and said, "You look exhausted. Where's Scott? I thought he was supposed to be helping you."

Elijah shrugged. "He went off with Sophia. I don't mind. It's nice to see him make friends with the neighbors."

Just then, a laughing Sophia sped through the ripped open front door, giggling wildly as she nearly tripped over one of the stools. Scott appeared not long after, not wearing a shirt, but thankfully still clad in cowboy hat, jeans, and designer boots. Neither acknowledged Selina or Elijah's presence, or saw the smirk the two of them shared.

They continued to chase one another around the kitchen, but just before Elijah could express concern that they would break one of the antiques that rested in the kitchen if this behavior continued, Scott finally got a hold on Sophia and held her tight.

"I got you! And remember the deal: If you can't catch Pinky the pig, I get to tickle you!" He crowed. He began tickling her while she laughed like mad and made a half-hearted effort to pull away. It didn't quite work, but when Scott finally loosened his grip, she toddled unsteadily and tripped over a chair that was pulled away from the kitchen table, and in an effort to save her, Scott tripped too, leading him to rest on top of her on another chair. They stared into one another's eyes, their lips getting closer and closer until Selina took a sip of coffee that went down the wrong pipe.

This broke the mood and made Scott groan. "Thanks a lot!" He said. "We were close to having a moment!"

"Oh, maybe it's for the best," Elijah told him. "Perhaps you should leave the poor woman alone." He winced. "And maybe put on a shirt, too?"

"All right, I'll leave her alone...for the moment," Scott told his father while giving Sophia a wink. "Why do I have to put a shirt on? It's boiling out there! I had no idea that you were such a prude, Dad!"

"He's not always," Selina chimed in. "In fact, just yesterday..."

Elijah gave her a look. "Maybe it's not the right time to tell that story," she said and went back to her coffee. When it was empty, she put it in the dishwasher and looked at Sophia. "Would you like to stay for lunch? I'm making egg salad sandwiches."

"Sure," Sophia nodded, catching her breath as she took a seat on one of the stools on either side of the island. "That would be lovely. Thank you."

Just as Sophia got her sandwich, the doorbell rang.

"There's Isabella," Scott remarked, catching his parents' eyes. "I promised her you'd meet her today. Just a minute."

He left and came back with a tall blonde who had velvet brown eyes and a tan complexion. "Hello," she said to Elijah and Selina. "I'm Isabella. Scott's told me so much about you both."

Selina and Elijah didn't know what to say. They hadn't even known Scott had a steady girlfriend!

Before anyone could say anything more, Isabella approached Sophia. "Hi," she said cheerfully. "Are you Scott's sister?"

"No, I'm...I live next door," Sophia got out. Her smile was tight as she shook the other woman's hand and the light was gone from her eyes. "I just came by for a visit..."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry I have to take Scott away now," Isabella told him. "But we have a date."

"Don't feel too bad though," Scott added to Sophia. "I'll be back to get revenge on you later!" He gave her one more wink and excused himself to go put on a shirt before he and Isabella left the house.

Once they were gone, Selina's attention turned back to Sophia, who was now poking at her half-eaten egg salad until there was a hole in the bread. "Are you all right?" She asked and put a hand on Sophia's shoulder. "I bet that was rotten to see."

"No, it's...it's fine," Sophia told her and finally pushed the plate away. "Thanks for the sandwich, but I think I need to go home...take care of my dogs, do some cleaning...I've taken up enough of your time."

She strode off and Selina gave Elijah a look. "You have to do something about this!" She said.

"About what?" Elijah asked, his eyes big.

"About Scott and Sophia!" Selina cried. "You saw how upset he made her! Tell him that he's wrong and he needs to behave in a more gentlemanly manner. Basically the guy version of every lecture you used to give me in the twenties. It's not hard. You know how to do it."

"No," Elijah said firmly. "I'm not getting involved. It's part of my growth process. My father used to orchestrate everything me and my siblings did. I won't be the same way anymore. We have to let Scott find his own way back to Sophia. He will, just like we did."

Selina groaned. "Well, okay, but I just hate my son turning into the sort of man who made me distrust men forever!"

"I know you do," he told her and hugged her. "But it's just a phase. I went through it and he'll get over it, I swear."

"Okay, I'll believe you," Selina told him as he stroked her hair. "Did you see Sophia? It hurt me just to see how much she was hurting!"

"It'll be okay," Elijah kept repeating. "They'll find each other in the end. I promise."

* * *

A chill went down Ashley's father's spine as the door to his office burst open and a blue and silver robot strode in, stood on the other side of his desk and stared at him. This was Optimus.

"H-Hello," the human man said nervously to the robot as he rose to his feet. "Is it time for our next meeting already? I thought it was the 23rd."

"Oh, that's what it is," Optimus replied. "Do you have the money, human? Remember, if you don't give me what I demand, you'll be dead just like the other Earthlings when my kind finally invades."

"I do," Ashley's father said, writing a check out quickly and throwing it at the robot. "Here, take it!"

"Thank you," Optimus replied. "And did you make a list of all the places where weapons that could be used against us are stockpiled? They won't do much good of course, but it never hurts to keep all that out of the way."

"I just started on that, please don't hurt me!" Ashley's father begged. "I need a little more time."

"Tomorrow," Optimus said firmly, grabbing the human man by the throat. "Have the list for me by tomorrow. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Ashley's father nodded. "I will, I swear!"

"Good," Optimus replied and let him go. "You better. I will be here for my list tomorrow." He then left, slamming the door behind him.

"Bye," Ashley's father said in a whisper, before sinking into his chair and asking his secretary to bring him a drink.

* * *

Willie winced as a crash shook the wall, followed by muffled yelling. They were at it again, and all he wanted to do was read his book, but that was very hard when they made so much _noise!_

He put his book down and stomped out his bedroom door and into the hallway, where Noah stood in the hallway, yelling at Cassidy, who was still careful to stay in her room.

"Hey!" He cried as they continued to bicker. "Hey, I'm trying to-Will you two...please..."

But they were in the middle of their own discussion and wouldn't listen.

"I don't know why you have to keep coming over here!" Cassidy snapped at Noah and tried to shut the door in Noah's face. "I'm your father's guest, not yours. Can't you just understand that and go away?"

"You seriously thought you could live here without seeing me?" Noah asked. "Isn't that having your cake and eating it too?"

"I didn't think it was unreasonable," Cassidy told him. "The house is big enough. I stay out of your way. _You_ are the one who keeps coming here to pick fights with me! It's really irritating! And think of the effect it has on poor Willie!"

Still unnoticed, Willie was about to open his mouth to tell her how 'Poor Willie' was actually feeling when he realized they would never listen. They hadn't so far. There was no one here he could talk to. But he knew someone who could: Even though he'd specifically been told not to go back to the Community, he had to because he had to see Pop, the only person who might understand. He quickly packed a bag, scribbled a short note that said, "I'm leaving, goodbye. Willie." And then made his way out of the house as Noah and Cassidy continued to argue, not even noticing he was gone.

* * *

"He," Optimus said as the young robot made his way into his office. "He, would you explain to me why in the world it is that you've developed feelings for a young hybrid woman?"

"I have not," He disputed flatly. "What are you talking about?"

Optimus rose to his feet and hit He so hard that his head spun around and it took a while for him to reboot.

When He could speak again, Optimus grabbed hold of his face, so He had to look him in the eye. "I have people watching you. You will forget that girl," he said. "You will forget that girl and focus on the mission like you're supposed to. Or..."

"Or what?" He asked.

"Or I will kill her while you watch and then fry all your circuits!" Optimus told him. "You'll be no more! You'll cease to exist and so will she! Is she worth that? Do you understand? Speak, boy, speak!" He raised his hand to hit the younger robot again, but He stopped him.

"Yes, I understand," He said quietly. "I will do my tasks as you command." He was beginning to have doubts about this invasion, but knew it would be useless to express them. He would just do his job and hopefully there was something or someone out there to save the Earth from what was about to happen. No matter how imperfect all the Earth creatures were, they didn't deserve what Optimus had planned for them.


	100. Doing What We Can To Get By

Josh sighed as he and Oliver played in the park while he watched the other babies be with both their daddies _and_ mommies.

"Don't you worry," he assured his little boy, even though Oliver didn't seem the least bit bothered by only being with one parent. "I'll get your mother home to us soon enough. It's about time anyway. She sees you often enough that it makes more sense just to bring her to you permanently."

But he knew that with her parents' issues about him, that would take some planning. He couldn't just barge in without some sort of back up plan and take her. That wouldn't work and it would probably make her hate him. That wasn't what he wanted. He loved her and he wanted her to love him back. That's how it was supposed to be.

* * *

With the plan in mind, his excitement built up and it was hard to hide it, especially when he and Juliette were face to face.

"What's going on in your head?" She asked suspiciously when he brought Oliver to her soon after. "What are you plotting? Why do you keep smiling and chuckling when you look at me?"

"Can't I just be happy to see you for a few minutes since you, you know, refuse to come live with Oliver and me?"

"I will eventually," she said. "But you have to give me time. Be patient. You can do that, right?" She eyed him hopefully.

"Yeah," Josh nodded, feeling a teeny bit guilty for rushing her. "I can do that. Bye, have a good time with him."

"Bye!" Juliette said, although, as she shut the door behind him and shifted Oliver's position in her arms, she couldn't ignore the feeling in her gut that something strange was gonna happen soon.

"I think your daddy is planning something very sneaky," Juliette remarked as she carried Oliver to her bedroom. "I wonder what it is? It's a shame you can't tell me."

Oliver just gave her a look and then buried his head in her shoulder.

"Never mind," she said. "Let's not think about that now. Let's go play with some new toys I got you instead. Won't that be fun?"

Oliver gave her a giggle and a smile that showed two little baby teeth as she carried him off to her room and they cuddled and played with some stuffed toys and a ball while Juliette tried not to let her mind wander to what Josh might be up to.

* * *

Even after spending several days trying to come up with a plan that would do as little damage to his relationship with Juliette as possible _and_ give him and Oliver what they needed, Josh couldn't come up with anything, so he just decided to order her to come home with him and let the chips fall where they may.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Valerie asked as she held Oliver in her lap. True to his word, Josh had let her come see him and they'd actually bonded very well. "This could just be a stupid plan that gets you in more trouble. Believe me, I know. Dexter and I still haven't recovered from when I screwed up."

"This is different," Josh told her firmly. "I'm not lying. I'm just...making sure Oliver has his mother. And if I also happen to benefit, there you go."

"This is not gonna go well," Valerie insisted. "In fact, Grandpa Junior will probably kill you."

"He could try," Josh told her, not worried at all. "But he won't succeed. He doesn't know enough. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go."

"Bye," Valerie said. "And don't worry; if you get killed, I'll make sure Oliver goes straight to Juliette. I'm sure she won't mind in that case."

"Thanks," Josh told her dryly. "You're a real pal."

"You're welcome!" Valerie called after him. "You know me, I'm always here to help!"

* * *

He obeyed all speed limits on his way to Sarah and Junior's, but once he'd parked his car in their drive way and began walking to the door, the anticipation kicked in and he pounded on the door when he reached it, especially after noticing Sarah watching him from behind the curtains of the front windows.

"Let me in!" He called. "I want to talk to Juliette."

Sarah opened the door just a crack. "Are you sure that's all you want? I don't want trouble, Josh."

"I just want to take Juliette home with me so that Oliver can be with his mother," Josh said. "Is that so wrong?"

"It should be up to her," Sarah said. "If you want to take her before she's ready, then yeah...I'd say it's wrong. Being in that dark place has changed you into someone I don't even know!"

"Yeah, yeah," Josh huffed impatiently, picking Sarah up and moving her out of the doorway so he could get inside. "It's not like I haven't heard this before."

Sarah then began yelling for Junior, who, as expected, was not happy to see his rival in his house.

"Get out," Junior said, eyes narrowed. "Get out and don't come back, or I _will_ kill you. I don't care what the consequences are!"

"You keep saying that, you coward," Josh hissed. "But you never do it! You're all bluster and no action. If you were truly as intent on murdering me as you say, I'd be dead by now!"

"And like you wouldn't kill me if you could," Junior spat.

"All I want is a home and a family," Josh told him. "I don't want to have blood on my hands if I don't have to, but you're making any other option very difficult!"

"Okay, okay," Sarah said, getting between Josh and Junior after they exchanged punches. "I understand what's going on now. Josh, I...I understand that all you want is to be a family with Juliette and Oliver. I don't blame you. You're a good, kind, loving man and after all you've been through, you deserve a little happiness!"

"And what do you mean by that?" Junior demanded. "Are you on his side now? Are you saying he can just stride in here and take our daughter because of a few bad times? Why doesn't everyone just move in with him then?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying!" Sarah cried. "Why do you have to make this more difficult than it is already? He's being more grown up about this than you are!"

"What's all the shouting?" Juliette asked as she came down the stairs. "Is Josh causing trouble? Is it up to me to fix it?"

"Yes," Josh nodded, coming up to her, picking her up, and putting her over his shoulder. "All you have to do is come home with me and every problem here will be solved."

"Well, I don't want to!" Juliette cried. "Put me down! I told you to give me time!"

"How much more do you need?" Josh demanded as he carried her out to his car. "It's been _months_! You're just stringing me along!"

"No...no, I'm not," Juliette promised. "I would have come, I swear."

"No, you wouldn't have," Josh shook his head. "Don't lie to me anymore. Just get in the car."

"Can I...can I at least say 'Goodbye' to my parents first?" She asked. "Please?"

"You can call them tonight," Josh said. "Now we're going home."

"Don't you mean to that house you live in?" Juliette lashed out. "Because I got there this way, who knows if it will ever be home to me!"

Josh let out a growl, pushed her in the backseat, and started the engine, driving back to the house and carrying her inside, her sobbing audible to Valerie's ears as she played in Oliver's bedroom.

"Sounds like mommy's home," She sighed and gave Oliver a hug. "Don't worry, she loves you. She's just sad because your daddy made a very bad choice. It has nothing to do with you."

She waited until the crying stopped, picked up Oliver, and after some looking, found Juliette. "You...you wanna see him?" She asked cautiously. "Or do you just want to be left alone?"

"No, I can see him," Juliette sniffled. "He's the only thing that will make all this bearable. And will you stay too? Just for a little bit?"

"Yeah," Valerie came and put her arms around her. "I'll stay as long as you want."

* * *

Ashley's pleasant stay with Elliot and his family had been all too brief and much sooner than she would have liked, she was back at the rehab center.

Though Junior had promised he would make sure her father would stay away, it still didn't stop her from having nightmares every night. From thinking that every sound and every moving shadow was someone her father had hired to come kill her. He wasn't shy about it. She knew that nothing would stop him now since he'd been bold enough to try once.

Finally, the sleepless nights all became too much. She decided that the only way she was going to end all this pain was to really end it.

She had gotten strong enough that she could get herself into her chair (albeit in a somewhat clumsy way) and put a small knife in the pocket of her pajama pants to use just in case someone found her and pulled her out too early.

Once she was settled, she made her way to the deep end of the warm exercise pool one night after the majority of the staff had gone home, undid the wheelchair seat belt, and threw herself into twelve feet of water Panic immediately overtook her. She knew how to swim of course, but had never liked to be in water deep enough that her feet didn't touch the pool floor. She struggled against the water for a bit, then felt relief when she remembered that she had no reason to fight. This was what she wanted. She stopped moving and just let herself float, falling down, down, down...it was relaxing, in its way.

Then she heard a voice calling her name: "Ashley! Ashley! What have you _done_?" It was muffled, but sounded like a nice voice. An angel coming to get her and take her where she belonged? A strong angel, she thought as a pair of strong arms gripped her and pulled her up to the surface just as she blacked out.

"Ashley! Ashley, no!"

A soaking wet Elliot clung to her, one hand in hers as he felt for and found a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. His Ashley wasn't dead, even if she looked it. He quickly tried CPR and for a short time, her eyes opened.

"No," she breathed. "No, just let me die!" It was then that she remembered the knife. The fact that Elliot was full of shock and grief gave her enough time to grab the knife out of her pocket and slit her own throat.

"No!" Elliot screamed. It was almost too late. There was one thing left to do. He took the knife from her and threw it into the water, then bit his wrist and let the blood flow into her mouth. "Swallow, damn it!" He yelled urgently. "Damn, it, Ashley, swallow!"

She was so shocked that she did. He gave her a little more, and a little more, and soon, she was healed, though still shaking in his arms as they sobbed together.

"What were you thinking?" He asked her.

"I couldn't...the nightmares were too much," she said. "I knew I was gonna die somehow. I knew my father wouldn't stop until I was dead, so I wanted to get it over with before he could. I didn't want him to have that power over me anymore. Elliot, this is the one thing it seemed like I could do on my own anymore."

"I can't say I blame you," he said as he kissed her hair. "I can't yell at you for not wanting to feel helpless. I get it."

"But then why did you save me?" Ashley asked. "Why did you make me drink blood? What the hell?"

"I'm a vampire," he said. "My blood is in your system now. You have two options. Since you're healed from the accident, you can run away and change your name and you'll never have to see your father again. Or I can dive into that pool, grab the knife, you can slit your throat again, and you'll be a vampire. Then, no matter what your father does, he'll never win. You could kill _him_ if you wanted and no one would be able to stop you. It's your choice. My gut or that man's voice in my head told me to save you...so you could either be with me or do whatever you want wherever you want."

"Get the knife," she said without a moment's hesitation. "Please."

She watched him get the knife from the pool and took it from him one more time.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather not be here when you do this," he said. "Seeing it once was painful enough."

"All right," Ashley nodded. "Go."

When he came back, he found her still, in her chair, both her wrists slit. As he reached her, her eyes popped open.

"Ashley!" He yelled and hugged her hard. "You...you're back!"

"And I'm also _hungry_ ," she whispered in his ear and even nibbled on his earlobe a little. "Where's the best place to get a bite this time of night?"

* * *

"What a nice session we had today," Amy remarked as she walked Stevie to her door. "I had no idea you wanted to take an art class or start a film career! See what wonderful things can be possible if you live now instead of in the past?"

"Yeah," Stevie gave her a smile. "Of course. I've learned my lesson on that score. No more talking about Egypt, I promise!"

"Good," Amy smiled. "It's really the best thing. You'll see."

He gave her a smile and then went on his way, running into his sister, who was loitering by his bedroom door with her arms crossed.

"So did Amy believe all the bull about you moving on and not talking about Egypt anymore?" She asked.

"Well, it's not bull _entirely_ ," Stevie corrected. "I'm not gonna talk about Egypt around her anymore cause it's getting me nowhere. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten about it, or whatever happened between us. I'm just changing my tactics. Now, you're still gonna help me, right?"

"Yes," Charlotte Junior assured him.

"And have you been studying the spell?" Stevie added. "You better know it forward and backward. I don't want you to screw this up!"

"You could be nicer to someone who's helping you out of the goodness of their heart," Charlotte Junior warned.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's just do the darn spell already," Stevie muttered impatiently. "Let me get my car keys. It shouldn't be hard to find someone who's about ready to die."

As they made their way out of the house, Ellie stopped them. "Where are you two going?"

"Oh, to, um...get ice cream!" Charlotte Junior told her mother quickly. "We won't be gone long!"

She then pulled Stevie away from their mother because when it came to her, he was kind of a weak link, and confronted with her long enough, would tell her anything.

"That was close," she breathed as they drove away from the house. "If we'd been dealing with Dad, we would have been totally screwed!"

"Focus!" Stevie told her. "Look for car crashes or something so we can get me a new body and get back home."

* * *

Unfortunately, they didn't find any accidents as they drove around, so they finally drove to the nearest hospital to try their luck there.

As they arrived, a young man was being wheeled in from an ambulance. From the sound of things, he'd tried to commit suicide by poison but had been caught just in time. Charlotte Junior disguised both herself and Stevie as a doctor and nurse, and then, in all the chaos, zapped the gurney with the young man away to a room where it was just the three of them. then she did the spell that put Stevie's essence in the other man's body, impatient to see if it would work.

"Oh, thank Grandpa," she said when he finally sat up. "Took you long enough."

"Hand me a mirror," Stevie demanded. "Let me see if you did it right." He then noticed his own still body on the floor. "What do we do with that?"

"I don't know," Charlotte Junior shrugged. "We'll hide it somewhere. I don't even know what you've got planned." She handed him a compact from her purse. "I know it's not big, but...here."

Stevie took it and looked at himself. Now he had lighter brown hair, blue eyes, and a tan complexion. Hopefully Amy went for that.

"Good job," he said. "I owe you one."

"Damn right you do," Charlotte Junior nodded. "And just you wait until I decide what my payment's gonna be!"

"Yeah, okay, okay," Stevie told her. "You take my body home and hide it. Go using your magic. I'll take the car. You think you can handle that?"

"Duh," Charlotte Junior told him. "But why do _you_ get to take the car?"

"Cause it's _my_ car!" Stevie cried, his voice full of irritation. He left his pouting sister behind, left the hospital, and drove away. As he headed home, he saw Klaus walking down the street.

"Hey," he said, bringing the car to a stop. "Are you Klaus Mikaelson?"

"Why?" Klaus paused and eyed the young stranger suspiciously. "Who wants to know?"

"I do," Stevie told him. "I'm Steve Morningstar and I think we need to have a chat about Amy."

* * *

Luckily for Stevie, his parents, his father especially, had bigger fish to fry than worrying about him getting a new body.

The same sense of foreboding that had interrupted his father's sleep and brought him to his son's doorstep at two in the morning was now beginning to trouble Lucifer as well.

At first it had been easy to hide because he didn't sleep a lot, but when the thoughts wore him down so much that he started skipping sex to try and get shut eye, that's when Ellie began to get concerned.

"What's wrong?" she asked one night as she put her arms around him. "You know if something is wrong, you can tell me, right?"

"I..." Lucifer pulled away, got out of bed, and began pacing around the room, his body drenched in sheen of sweat. "It's not something you can help with, Eleanor. I don't want to burden you with it all. No wonder Dad's been having trouble. I get it now."

"Okay, so you won't tell me what's going on," Ellie nodded. "Probably some big cosmic issue that's over my head. I won't push, that's fine. But can...come over here. I want to at least try and help you forget it for a while. Will you let me?"

"Sure," Lucifer nodded. "I suppose whatever you can do for me is better than me trying to drink it all away anyway."

"Yeah," Ellie nodded as he collapsed beside her and she ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his cheek. "I think that would be better too." She then began gently massaging his shoulders and stomach with her fingers before kissing his neck and undoing his pants to give him a blowjob.

After he climaxed and they made out a little longer he finally dozed off. At this point, Ellie would have customarily fallen asleep too, but she was so concerned that he would get up and start pacing again if she slept that she made herself coffee, pulled a chair up next to the bed, and sat in it to watch him all night to make sure he stayed asleep and got the rest he seemed to be needing so badly. And if she had to do it tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that to help him stave off whatever dark thoughts were in his head, so be it. That's what she would do.

* * *

Though Willie had planned to go straight to the Community from home, several well meaning strangers had gotten in the way, delaying his trip for a while. But when he finally reached the Community, or what was left of it, he wished that he was still tucked under the covers in the house where the nice lady who'd taken him in cause she'd been convinced he was some poor, helpless runaway. Plus she'd had cookies in her kitchen in a jar shaped like a cow.

But instead, he was looking at the smoldering remains of what had once been his home. Then, he saw Pops. The nice old man who'd run everything and had always had a nice word and a piece of candy for him was dead now too, looking a lot like Mommy and Daddy had before Cassidy and Noah had taken him away from here.

Willie paused, reaching out toward the body. Maybe he wasn't dead. Maybe he just needed someone to shake him and he'd wake up! He started to do this, but then a hard, cold hand gripped his shoulder.

"It's no good, little human," said a voice. "He won't wake."

Willie turned to see a tall blue and gray robot looking at him. "Who are you?" he asked.

"That's none of your concern," said the robot, Optimus, of course, as others like him walked around to check and see who was still breathing, if anyone, and finish them off. "Now hold still. I have to kill you too, and it won't be painless if you struggle."

"No!" Willie cried, just as he felt arms pick him up. He shut his eyes tight and waited for the pain, but when it didn't come, he opened them again and found himself out of the Community and standing amidst a crowd of curious and worried on-lookers across the street.

He then looked up at the man who held him and walked him over to Lily Eleanor. "Hi," Willie told her. "Don't tell Cassidy I left home."

"Take him," the man told her curtly and put Willie in her arms. If he was a man. A bit of his cheek had been torn away, presumably in some fight, revealing the wires and things beneath.

"O-okay," Lily Eleanor nodded as he took her hand to put it on the spot and then kissed her fingers and palm. "But what...just what are you, He? What's happened?"

The...man or robot or whatever, didn't answer. He just zipped away as Lily Eleanor and Willie hugged each other tight.

* * *

"You know it's not usually my style to just come when you call," Charlotte said as Steve let her in. "But this time, I was just so intrigued that I couldn't resist!"

"Keep your voice down!" Steve implored. "This is very serious!"

Charlotte then slammed the door closed, the slam followed by a cry of pain.

"Let Mikael come in," Steve sighed and opened the door to reveal the man, who was whining about a broken nose. "Since he's already here."

"I didn't mean for him to tag along!" Charlotte cried. "He just did! He was with me when you called!"

"What's _she_ doing here?" Gwen cried as she joined them. "Steve, you could have warned me!"

"You have nothing to worry about," Steve assured her. "This is purely a business matter."

"Well, it better be!" Gwen huffed.

"Moving on," Charlotte prompted Steve and pushed her sister gently aside. "What's so important that you actually called me? Are you tired of my sister and want to take me back?"

"You wish!" Gwen cried and gave her sister a push. "That'll happen over my dead body!"

"Oh, that could easily be arranged," Charlotte spat and clawed at Gwen's face. "I made you disappear once and I will _not_ hesitate to do it again!"

While they fought, Mikael poured himself a drink and eyed Steve, "So..." he said, "What's the big news, Grandpa? What do you need Charlotte for? A threesome? Cause I'm not willing to share even if she does irritate me in every other way."

"No, it's not that," Steve said, his eyes flashing as he knocked the brandy out of Mikael's hand. "We should go pull those two apart before I say anything."

It took some time, but finally, Gwen and Charlotte were separated, each in their man's arms. Once they'd caught their breaths, Steve cleared his throat and began to speak.

"I know you're all wondering why I called my former wife here," he said. "It's because something has happened and I need...I need her help."

"Why?" Charlotte asked.

"You're going to think this is silly," Steve shook his head. "Even I don't quite believe it myself. But apparently...apparently alien robots are invading the earth, intent on killing all humanity."

"Oh, who cares about humanity?" Charlotte scoffed.

"Yes," Mikael agreed. "Who cares?"

" _You_ should," Steve told them both. "Because before they kill the humans, they're going to kill all supernatural creatures, including your children, Mikael," he said first, and then turned his gaze to Charlotte. "And our brood as well...at least the ones who are here. That changes things, doesn't it?"

And the other three just stared at him, their mouths open, their bodies rigid with shock, unable to say a word.

 **The End**

 **Up Next: The Unknown Life: The alien robots are invading and all supernatural and celestial beings must work together if they, along with humanity, want to survive and get through in one piece.**


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